
Korean Won Climbs After Holiday, Catching Up With Asian Peers
The South Korean won rose on Wednesday as it caught up with gains in regional currency peers after the local market was shut for a holiday earlier this week.
The won strengthened 1.3% to 1,383.00 against the dollar, the highest since November 2024, in early trading. The advances are in line with moves seen in Asian peers this week as traders dumped dollars amid hopes of a thaw in global trade tensions. Improving risk sentiment after US and China agreed to meet for trade talks helped gains.

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Forbes
39 minutes ago
- Forbes
Fauré Le Page Doesn't Identify As A Luxury Brand—Why That Matters
The Ladies First Bag is the Parisian Chic House's new, all-leather piece. It's rare for a heritage fashion house to dismiss the luxury label outright—especially one with 300 years of history. Yet at the recent Manila launch of Fauré Le Page's Ladies First bag, Augustin de Buffévent, the brand's Artistic & Communications Director, was quick to reject the term. 'We have nothing to do with luxury,' he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. 'We are a Parisian chic house and I am not at ease with the concept of luxury. To me, it doesn't mean anything anymore.' That distinction matters. Across Asia, brands are being forced to rethink what luxury actually means. According to a report, 87% of consumers now favor timelessness over trends while 80–92% rank material quality and craftsmanship above brand prestige when defining luxury. Meanwhile, the industry faces a reckoning with another industry report estimating the loss of some 50 million luxury buyers last year as inflation eats into purchasing power. In that context, Fauré Le Page's position feels less rebellious than it does well-calculated. The Ladies First bag marks a quiet milestone for the house. It's their first all-leather line, made from full-grain Armure Leather inspired by 18th-century cuirasses. The silhouette is structured but feminine, blending heritage with ease. Barrel-shaped clasps and bullet-like zipper pulls are subtle nods to the brand's origin as a purveyor of firearms to French nobility—though de Buffévent is quick to clarify: 'It's not a weapon. It's a weapon of seduction.' There's no rush here. Unlike fast‑fashion cycles or trendier labels vying for virality, Fauré Le Page plays a long game. 'Long-lasting items take time. We don't follow the crazy rhythm of fashion,' says de Buffévent. With rigorous 'torture tests' built into production, each bag is crafted to last—preferably a decade or more. He beams, 'I'm proud when I see someone carrying the same bag after ten years. Even more when my daughters steal bags from my wife.' I'm proud when I see someone carrying the same bag after ten years. Even more when my daughters steal bags from my wife. This slow‑craft approach aligns with evolving consumer behavior. A recent study found that 87% of luxury buyers across China, Japan, and Southeast Asia now prioritize quality, craftsmanship, and long‑term value over mere brand prestige, underscoring the rising demand for meaningful, substance‑driven luxury. The timing couldn't be more relevant. Some of the industry's biggest players have faced criticism over quality despite hiking prices. In May of this year, a TikTok user went viral after claiming that the straps of her Goyard St. Louis PM tote melted during a warm spring day, leaving stains on her shirt and questions about the bag's durability. It wasn't even summer yet. Incidents like this are fueling conversations about whether today's 'luxury' still lives up to the name. Other labels haven't been spared either: Chanel's classic flap bags have drawn complaints over uneven stitching and delicate leather, while Prada's nylon pieces have been criticized for fraying seams and faulty zippers after minimal use—all despite repeated price hikes in the last few years. So, who is the Ladies First bag made for? Forget demographics. 'I hate the term 'fashion victim,'' de Buffévent says. 'Women should create their own style. This bag is the perfect accessory for that.' With its sturdy form, refined detailing, and rich symbolism, it's less about signaling wealth and more about wearing conviction. At the launch of Fauré Le Page's Ladies First bag in Manila. Nikki Huang (Rustan's Commercial Group Merchandising Consultant), Augustin de Buffevént (Fauré Le Page Artistic & Communications Director), Anton Huang (SSI Group President) and Stephanie Chong (Fauré Le Page Philippines General Manager) Rather than chasing the new, Fauré Le Page refines what's already timeless. 'We're not in the fashion business,' he reiterates. 'Quality is at the heart.' And for a growing number of buyers, that's where real luxury now lives. In a market bloated with disposable 'It' bags and seasonal logo drops, Fauré Le Page offers a slower and sturdy alternative: one that values craft over clout, style over spectacle. With Ladies First, they are launching a new silhouette while sending a message. For those who are done with flash and ready for substance, this may be the new standard of luxury.

Wall Street Journal
2 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Bearishness Among Individual Investors Hits Lowest Level Since January
Individual traders are feeling less gloomy, with stocks bouncing back from the tariff-driven selloff in April. Bearishness, or the expectation that stock prices will fall over the next six months, fell to 33.6%. That is the lowest level since January, according to the latest weekly survey by the American Association of Individual Investors.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
South Korean Stargate-like project could bolster US security alliance, tech exec says
South Korea's new president should work with American tech giants to pursue a Stargate-like artificial intelligence partnership — as a matter of global security, according to a Korean tech executive. After six months of political chaos and paralysis in South Korea, President Lee Jae-myung took over last week following snap elections, with ambitious plans for the country's AI sector, including a 100 trillion won (nearly $74 billion) fund aimed at turning the country into one of the top three AI powers globally. In an interview with Semafor, Jeff Kim, a leading AI figure in South Korea who helped advise Lee's party on AI during the election through policy forums, detailed a roadmap for how he expects the new government could approach the sector. Kim, the CEO of AI-powered travel platform Yanolja Cloud and a board member of the Korean AI-Software Association, said Lee wants to turn Korea into an 'AI-driven state.' 'That means everyone should be using AI and everything should be made with AI,' Kim said, adding that a possible government-led AI service platform could allow companies to connect their tools. The new president has previously said he wants to appoint an AI policy chief and develop a 'Korea-tailored ChatGPT,' which would be free to the public and could rapidly generate data. The 100 trillion won fund will have to be a mix of private and public capital, Kim said: 'It's impossible to make the fund only from the public side.' He envisions a project similar to Stargate, the $500 billion venture to build AI infrastructure in the US spearheaded by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank — which is one of Yanolja's backers. Last month, officials announced a version of Stargate in the United Arab Emirates. Through the Korean fund, Kim said local AI-related companies and Silicon Valley cloud service providers could collaborate to support data center buildout in Korea — an 'AI highway' — to power the rising demand for chatbots and AI models. This 'symbolizes the deepening of the US security alliance as well,' he said, reflecting how large-scale AI compute has become a strategic geopolitical resource. South Korea has a highly tech-literate population that has shown strong adoption of AI. OpenAI said last month it is setting up its first office in Seoul, noting growing demand for chatbots: The country has the largest number of paid ChatGPT subscribers outside the US. But experts see the highly digitized nation as lagging in the AI race behind the US and China. Political gridlock slowed many of the previous government's AI efforts, and former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment further diverted attention. Some economists are skeptical of Lee's lofty AI ambitions, including whether it can raise 100 trillion won, Korea JoongAng Daily reported. 'Before debating budgets or regulations, the country must define whether it aims to replicate existing technologies or lead original innovation,' one expert said. The success of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which made the case for building a powerful model on a smaller budget, energized South Korea's frontier AI scene, with startups rushing to create homegrown models, Foreign Policy wrote. OpenAI has said it is open to working with to build on the Stargate venture and support local data center capacity, Data Centre Dynamics wrote.