Loro Piana's Mongolian Initiative; Thermore's New Drop; Challenge the Fabric's 2025 Winner: Short Takes
The program is developed in partnership with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD, the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, or SFA, and the Odyssey Conservation Trust, or OCT.
More from WWD
Art Basel 2025: Formafantasma, Grace Wales Bonner Medalists of Brand New Award
Adidas Is No Longer Sourcing Kangaroo Skins for Its Athletic Shoes
EXCLUSIVE: Sedef Uncu Aki Named CEO at Next Gen Materials Company Gozen
'Over the last decades, Loro Piana has established itself as a key advocate for cashmere quality in Mongolia, building strong, honest and trustful relationships. Our longstanding presence has taught us that the exceptional quality of Loro Piana cashmere originates from the dedication of herders and the region's rich cashmere-sourcing traditions,' said Pier Luigi Loro Piana, vice chairman of Loro Piana.
'Together we understand and uphold the welfare of the animals and the environment. It is a commitment to continuous learning, responsible stewardship and collaborative creation,' he added.
The luxury brand operates its only out-of-Italy manufacturing facility in the country, in the Ulaanbaatar region.
Through the program — aligned with parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's 'Life 360' environmental strategy — it pledges to support five districts in Mongolia's highly vulnerable Sukhbaatar province, impacted by heavy climate disruption posing risks to the livelihoods of herders, biodiversity of the area, one of the world's last intact grassland ecosystems, and supply chain resilience.
This year Loro Piana will establish the first mobile 'One Health Hub' in the region to reach remote location with vehicles delivering services such as preventive health care and vaccination campaigns, training sessions and health care awareness initiatives. It will also be home to a seeds bank to protect and grow biodiversity-fueling, at-risk flora.
'At Loro Piana, our commitment to preserve the ecosystems that sustain our craft is unwavering. This multiyear program will support the Mongolian communities who are vital partners to the maison while protecting the environment,' said Loro Piana's chief executive officer Damien Bertrand.
Eco-padding: As fashion customers have become increasingly spoiled by outerwear that's both lightweight and ultra warm, Thermore, the Milan-based premium thermal insulation company for apparel and outerwear, is introducing Ecodown Fibers Sync, billed as a featherlight, exceptionally resilient padding.
Intended for both slim and puffy outerwear, the new material prevents the conglomeration of fibers and pushes the sustainability envelope further as it is entirely crafted from recycled fibers derived from post-consumer PET bottles. It boasts GRS, Bluesign and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification.
Fabric Challenge: Swedish but London-based young talent Petra Fagerström scooped up the top prize of the fifth Challenge the Fabric Award, held in Milan this week.
Organized yearly since 2018 by the Swedish Fashion Council with support from Ekman Group, a trading house firm covering forest-based products ranging from packing and paper to recovered materials, Challenge the Fabric is a two-day initiative highlighting material innovation and promoting cross-industry collaboration with a focus on man-made cellulosic fibers.
Fagerström was rewarded with $10,000 for her look, a cool jersey midi skirt with grommeted perforations and twill blouson combo crafted from Sappi Verve's trademarked Ecocell fibers.
The jury panel recognized Fagerström's 'strength across all criteria: innovation, creativity, commercial potential, brand purpose and future impact,' stating her work conveyed her message with clarity and conviction.
Jurors included 10 Corso Como brand curator Aldo Camillo Gotti; Hodakova founder and creative director Ellen Hodakova Larsson; Andrea Rosso, OTB's sustainability ambassador, and Riccardo Turrisi, sustainable innovation manager at Kering, among others.
The Central Saint Martins and Parsons Paris graduate Fagerström is known for pushing the sustainability agenda, having scooped up several eco-minded awards in the past, including two at 38th edition of the International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories — Hyères in 2023, such as the Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Award and the Chanel-powered L'Atelier des Matières Prize, for her lenticular pleated fabrics.
Fagerström was shortlisted among a roster of seven applicants, each collaborating with a different, partner textile and material firm. Other finalists included Olympia Schiele with her brand Louther; Nuba by Cameron Williams; Oscar Quyang; Shan Huq; Mattie Barringer's and Amanda McGowan's Women's History Museu, and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen.
Best of WWD
Walmart Calls California Waste Dumping Lawsuit 'Unjustified'
Year in Review: Sustainability's Biggest Controversies of 2021
Year in Review: Sustainability's New Strides
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Shampoo Brush From Amazon Is About To Give Your Dog the Best Bath of His Life & It's Under $9 Right Now
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. If you're looking for a way to make your dog's bath time routine a bit easier for both of you, then you need to check out this anti-slip shampoo brush from the dog-focused brand Bodhi. It has thousands of five-star reviews, and pet parents say it's a must-have for lathering, hair removal, and exfoliation. Plus, you can grab it on sale right now for just under $9 on Amazon. More from SheKnows Cat Parents on Amazon Are Calling This Super Cute UFO Laser Toy a 'Kitty Carnival of Fun' Today's Top Deals How Do You Raise Good Kids in Terrifying Times? 'Hello, Cruel World' Author Melinda Wenner Moyer Has Ideas Think Spring! Target Just Added Tons of Gorgeous New Patio Items Target Is Having a Can't-Miss Spring Sandal Sale for Circle Members The Bodhi Shampoo Brush is a waterproof silicone brush that straps onto your hand to help you scrub away dead skin, loose fur, and grime. The ultra-soft bristles on the brush are gentle on your dog's skin, but grippy enough to latch onto anything that needs to go, all while lathering your dog's shampoo to foamy perfection. And because the bristles are short, you can simply peel away fur in a single layer as you go. It works great for both long- and short-haired breeds, and you can even use it on your pet's dry hair, too. The silicone attracts any loose fur like a magnet, leaving your dog shiny, healthy, and happy. Bodhi Dog Shampoo Brush Price: $'$16″ $'$9″ Buy Now ffiliate-20&linkId= asin='' button_layout='price_outside' version='2″] 'Works better than expected,' one pet parent wrote in their review. 'Helps the shampoo spread more evenly and efficiently. Very easy to use. Very happy with this purchase.' Another person said, 'Very effective! I haven't used wet yet, but have used dry, and it works great! I have a smooth miniature dachshund, and this has removed more dead hair than the bristle brush I had been using. It is larger than expected and fits very comfortably on the hand. You basically pet your dog's coat and it gets down to the skin without using any pressure or pulling.' 'When I use this while bathing my dog, it gets a lot of shedding out!' someone else added. 'I got it because I wanted something more gentle for my dog in the bath than his scrub brush. He's old and deserves the best. I also like how this lightweight brush fits on my hand; it's better than holding a heavy scrub brush. Also, I like it because it's more sanitary, it's solid silicone, no nooks and crannies down at the base of the bristles. It's something you can completely clean and sanitize.' Pick up the Bodhi Shampoo Brush while it's on sale for just under $9 on Amazon and give your dog the best bath of his life. He deserves it, and you do, too!More Top Deals from SheKnows Is Walmart+ Worth It? Giada De Laurentiis' Newest Cookbook Is Packed With Italian Super Food Recipes Stanley Tumblers Now Come With New Leakproof Lids & Customers Are Raving About Them Best of SheKnows 10 Affordable Lookalikes of the Clinique Black Honey Lipstick, According to TikTok 9 Bold Black Lipsticks That Make a Statment & Are On Sale for National Lipstick Day These Shoes Made Me Believe in Comfy High Heels — & They're 50% Off Right Now
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
AI is finally getting better at knowing what people want. Why this matters for consumers and the brands trying to reach them
Online advertising has become the internet's most expensive guessing game. Brands spend billions trying to reach the right people at the right moment, while consumers wade through increasingly irrelevant promotional content that clutters their digital experience. The result is a system where both sides lose. Advertisers waste budget on uninterested audiences, and consumers develop banner blindness to escape the noise. This costly inefficiency stems from a fundamental flaw in digital advertising's operation for years. Traditional targeting methods rely heavily on past behavior and broad demographic categories, essentially making educated guesses about what someone might want based on where they've been, not where they're going. But AI is finally evolving beyond simple pattern recognition to reading genuine intent signals. The old playbook no longer works For years, advertisers have relied on a crude toolkit. Cookies tracked browsing history, algorithms kept tabs on website visits, and suddenly, you'd see related ads everywhere, regardless of context or actual need. Someone researching "best walking shoes for Italy" has vastly different intentions than someone browsing "luxury Italian leather shoes," yet traditional systems often lump both behaviors into a generic "shoe shopping" category. The problem compounds when you consider how people actually shop online. We browse, compare, research, and often abandon searches when our needs aren't met. Traditional systems struggle to distinguish between casual browsing and serious purchase intent, leading to poorly timed advertising that contributes to the digital noise consumers tune out. Understanding context, not just clicks This is where newer AI approaches are making a real difference. Instead of simply tracking what pages someone visited in the past, advanced systems can now interpret the full context of what people are looking for by analyzing the content they're engaging with. Take that comfortable shoe example. When someone reads an article on, say, breathable walking shoes for all-day sightseeing, an AI system that understands intent recognizes this goes beyond simple footwear shopping. The person wants comfort, durability, and extended wear. They're solving a specific travel problem. At RTB House, our IntentGPT component uses large language models and Deep Learning to make these contextual connections. Rather than relying on behavioral breadcrumbs, it interprets the meaning behind user interactions and matches that understanding with relevant products from advertiser catalogs. The result has been a 44% increase in engagement rates. The technical mechanics involve analyzing the semantic meaning of web content, understanding user intent in real time, and connecting that intent with appropriate product recommendations. The practical impact is straightforward — people see ads that actually relate to what they're trying to accomplish. Why this matters for consumers and brands For consumers, this shift addresses a genuine digital wellness issue. The constant barrage of irrelevant advertising contributes to the cluttered, frustrating online experience that has trained users to ignore marketing messages entirely. When ads match actual intent, they transform from irrelevant noise into useful information. Consider the broader implications. Better intent recognition means someone researching winter coats for a specific climate gets recommendations for appropriate gear, not generic fashion items. A parent looking for educational toys for a particular age group sees relevant options, not random products for children. The advertising becomes a service rather than contributing to banner blindness. For brands, the benefits extend beyond improved engagement rates. When advertising reaches people who genuinely need what you're selling, conversion rates improve and marketing spend becomes more effective. It's a shift from the imperfect toward precision targeting based on actual consumer needs. This approach also addresses growing consumer privacy concerns by understanding context and immediate needs without requiring deep behavioral profiling. Beyond the guessing game The advertising industry has struggled with having more data than ever while still struggling to deliver relevant experiences. The solution isn't more data collection, it's a better understanding of what that data actually means in the context of human behavior and genuine needs. AI components like IntentGPT are a maturation of advertising technology, moving beyond simple pattern matching to genuine comprehension of user intent. This approach focuses on making promotional content actually useful rather than just more prevalent. As these technologies become more sophisticated, we might finally solve one of digital advertising's most expensive problems by closing the gap between having access to user information and actually understanding what users want. The result could be an internet where advertising enhances rather than clutters the user experience. Early results suggest we're moving toward a more efficient system with the current technology available. The question now is how quickly the industry will adopt these more sophisticated approaches to replace the expensive guesses that have dominated digital advertising for too long.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Town centre restaurant still closed one month on with reopening date uncertain
A fast food restaurant and takeaway in Swindon town centre remains closed, as customers are left in the dark about when it could reopen. Pepe's Piri Piri, located on the corner of Commercial Road and Regent Street in Swindon town centre, is a popular fast food chain with 235 branches nationwide. The spicy chicken restaurant has been a staple in Swindon for several years, but in July 2025 the company announced it was shutting its doors for a long-awaited refurbishment. An announcement issued by Pepe's on July 15 simply stated: "We are closed for renovation". Pepe's Piri Piri remains closed (Image: Newsquest) The company promises it will reopen 'soon' (Image: Newsquest) Work is now well underway at the Swindon store, with decorators and contractors seen inside the shop, and materials left outside the front door. However, with the temporary closure having now reached week five, the re-opening date for Pepe's remains unknown. Recommended reading: Pizza shop boss seeks new owner for transformed formerly zero-rated takeaway Familiar faces reveal plans after taking over popular café restaurant Highly anticipated all-you-can-eat steakhouse opening soon in place of Italian Signs hung on the door of the store read: "We are closed while we improve your restaurant. We look forward to welcoming you back very soon. Apologies for any inconvenience." However, no official reopening date has been given, and efforts by the Swindon Advertiser to contact the store have been unsuccessful. The Regent Street restaurant has faced repeated issues with its town centre location in the past, after being targeted by burglars four times in 2019. Pepe's Piri Piri is not only refreshing its Swindon store, but has also shown its popularity with multiple new branches having opened across the country this summer. Four new Pepe's restaurants opened in July 2025, in Edinburgh, Clapham, Chingford and Chesterfield, with several more towns and cities earmarked to receive new branches of the chicken shop later this year.
