MOSS TO STEP DOWN: The Estée Lauder Cos.‘ vice chairman Sara Moss is retiring.

Moss, who first joined the corporate in 2003 as executive vice chairman and general counsel, will retire effective July 1, in response to an announcement from the corporate. In 2019 she became vice chairman, and advised each the board of directors and the Lauder family in that capability.

“Sara is an exceptional legal mind, a talented adviser, a valued mentor, and a much-loved leader whose strategic insights, business acumen and sound judgement have contributed greatly to our company’s success,” said Fabrizio Freda, the corporate’s president and chief executive officer, within the statement. “Her incredible character, steadfast integrity and deep empathy might be greatly missed across the organization.”

Each internally and externally, Moss also prioritized philanthropy. She was among the many first board members of the ELC Charitable Foundation, and cosponsored the Women’s Leadership Network in 2019. She also created the Sara Moss Women’s Leadership Program at Recent York University Law School, where she is a trustee and member of the board, and is vice chairman of the board of the Recent York Common Pantry, amongst other endeavors.

“A trusted senior business adviser for a few years, Sara has nurtured strong relationships inside our global ELC family and across the broader industry,” said William P. Lauder, executive chairman, within the statement. “It’s with great appreciation, admiration and respect that I say her dynamic leadership and expert guidance might be truly missed.”

Added Leonard A. Lauder, chairman emeritus, “Sara might be leaving a legacy of true dedication, passion and professionalism at ELC. On behalf of the corporate and all the Lauder family, I would love to thank Sara for her tremendous contributions to our business over the past 20 years and want her the absolute best in her well deserved retirement.” — JAMES MANSO

HEEL THYSELF: Have you ever ever worn down the heels in your favorite sneakers?

Chinese activewear firm Li-Ning went one step further and created a running shoe completely lacking heels, the concept being that this reduces the burden of the midsole, improves the rebound performance and extends the lifetime of the footwear.

The conceptual shoe, dubbed the Dragonflight, is to receive an IF Design Award during a ceremony May 15 on the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, winning within the category of “skilled concepts.”

Discussions about commercializing the Dragonflight are underway, and up to now, no athlete has donned the offbeat-looking sneakers for any recent marathon.

The nonprofit IF Design Foundation, which promotes design and its social significance, received almost 11,000 entries from 56 countries for its 2023 edition.

In response to the inspiration, the Dragonflight’s unique design ensures “acceleration efficiency and speed performance,” while foregoing a heel is a “research-supported alternative for propulsion optimization.”

Carbon plates are embedded within the shoe for propulsion, while the midsole is engineered with “high rebound tech.…It creates a refreshing presentation of running shoe design,” it added.

Other categories for design prizes include interior architecture, user experience and branding. The jury numbers 132 high-profile design experts from some 20 countries. — MILES SOCHA

GOING GREEN: French luxury house Patou has partnered with traceability and environmental impact reporting company Fairly Made to make clear its core collections.

The move makes the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned brand the primary luxury house to launch a partnership with the French green tech start-up.

Fairly Made has rated 64 products from Patou’s Les Essentiels line, which incorporates seasonless wardrobe staples equivalent to jeans, black trousers, denim jackets and white T-shirts and tanks, using the platform’s scoring system. Fairly Made’s tech enables brands to judge and rate their entire supply chain in five categories including environmental impact, social impact, traceability, recyclability and sustainability.

For its first round, Patou has focused on traceability and recyclability. Ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, Patou received a 2.84 for traceability and a couple of.39 for recyclability of its goods.

The brand acknowledged that there’s work to be done. “By partnering with Fairly Made, Patou is pushing itself further in its decisions and its responsibility to their customers and to the environment. Today, Patou is among the many first luxury brands to supply its customers these insights, and by doing so Patou is difficult itself to do higher,” it said in an announcement.

It’s step one for the brand, which can evaluate all ready-to-wear and leather goods from the upcoming fall 2023 collection.

Because the century-old house was relaunched under creative director Guillaume Henry in 2019, Patou has focused on traceability, giving each product a QR code that deep dives into its materials, packaging and production methods.

Fairly Made has been working with LVMH and its brands since its founding in 2018. — RHONDA RICHFORD

DYNAMIC DUO: Since Linda Evangelista and Steven Meisel first met in 1987, they’ve been making images together, a lot of probably the most iconic in fashion. Now, those images are part of recent book, “Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel,” that might be published by Phaidon on Sept. 13, the ultimate day of Recent York Fashion Week.

The book, which features an introduction by William Norwich, has over 190 images spanning 1 / 4 of a century and represents Evangelista’s first book.

Evangelista, 57, is one among the world’s most recognizable and photographed models of all time, and has been Meisel’s muse and friend for over 35 years. She has graced greater than 700 magazine covers and has walked the runways for countless ready-to-wear and high fashion shows worldwide. — LISA LOCKWOOD

OBSTACLE CLIMBER: Mango Man is seeking to the sports world for its latest campaign.

The Spanish fashion brand has tapped French soccer player Antoine Griezmann because the face of its spring 2023 collection and its accompanying campaign, titled “Move Forward.” The campaign is predicated on the concept of overcoming, highlighting “the importance of not giving up and achieving to be able to fulfill one’s goals and overcome any obstacles that appear along the way in which in life,” in response to Mango.

“Move Forward is an expression that represents my life and connects me to Mango Man, its values, its style and the characteristics of the clothes,” Griezmann said. “After falling down, I actually have all the time got back up again, I actually have tried again and I actually have had the determination to look forward and pursue my next goal.” 

Griezmann appears within the campaign modeling casual styles from the spring collection, including linen suits, suede jackets, printed shirts and more. The gathering centers around linen and knitwear pieces and is designed in an earthy color palette of neutrals, green and brown tones. It also offers accessories like backpacks and footwear.

The “Move Forward” campaign with Griezmann is Mango’s latest initiative of the yr. In January, the brand continued its sustainability efforts by releasing a circular design denim collection. 

Mango can be going forward with its plans to expand within the U.S. This February, the corporate signed an agreement to open seven stores in shopping centers within the U.S. this yr operated by Brookfield Properties. — LAYLA ILCHI