Chanel has raised its prices several times since the start of the pandemic and, like Hermès, is now limiting the number of items a customer can buy to maintain exclusivity and stoke demand.

Long-time sponsor Adidas has stayed quiet over the Chinese tennis player’s sexual assault allegation, reflecting a dilemma many brands face as the Beijing Winter Olympics nears.

Thigh-high hemlines are in again – and why not? Since Mary Quant invented the miniskirt it’s been about optimism – and sex appeal. If you don’t think your legs are up to it, add tights and knee-high boots this winter.

A Chinese company tried in vain to build a luxury conglomerate to rival LVMH by buying up storied Western brands such as Gieves & Hawkes. Chinese investors don’t know fashion well enough, experts say.

Does Benetton still exist? The Italian fashion brand, once hugely successful, has been supplanted by other names like Zara, H&M and Uniqlo.

War, colonisation and 2020’s devastating port explosion have taken their toll on Lebanon, but its young fashion talent is among the most dynamic in the Middle East.

No women’s handbag launched in recent years has reached It bag status, but Telfar’s vegan leather tote – beloved by stars from Bella Hadid to Beyoncé – comes close.

Bulgari and Louis Vuitton brand had to drop actor Kris Wu as a brand ambassador in China after he was accused of rape, and Prada cut ties with scandal-hit actress Zheng Shuang. What lessons should they learn?

The idea that fast-fashion retailer Primark and luxury brand Chanel are in any way similar may seem laughable, yet both brands are steadfastly ignoring the e-commerce boom.

Valentino and Saint Laurent shows, Lady Kitty Spencer’s wedding in Dolce & Gabbana, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom – when it comes to fashion, Italy was the place to be this summer.

K-pop still rules the music charts and K-dramas dominate Netflix – but K-beauty is losing its edge as global customers turn away from its complicated 10-step routines.

There’s nothing old-fashioned about getting clothes, bags and shoes repaired these days. Just ask that unlikely fashion guru Prince Charles, and luxury companies from Hermès to Farfetch.

China’s population is getting older, and fashion labels need to look at the over-60s; they are already worth US$881 million and have become used to shopping online. Targeted advertising using AI and mature KOLs are being used to attract silver fashionistas.

Boris Johnson’s wife wore a rented gown to their wedding and platforms like Rent the Runway and By Rotation are growing fast, but renting clothes remains unpopular in China and Asia.

Fashion is embracing trans rights, notably in Asia – where the cover of the June 2021 issue of Vogue Thailand features three models, all of them trans women.

Brands such as Omega, Nike, Adidas and Asics who sponsor the Olympics or national teams will agonise over the tone and message of their ad campaigns for the Tokyo Games.

Kenya’s elephants are having a good year. As well as a baby boom, Amboseli National Park recorded just nine incidents of elephant poaching in 2020, compared with hundreds a decade ago. An education campaign in Asia has helped.

Big names in luxury, such as Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Dior and Estée Lauder are looking to the East for their newest celebrity ambassadors (think BTS, Blackpink).

The appetite for vintage fashion, and pieces by Nike, Chanel and Hermès, is increasing, and auction houses are dedicating events to selling preloved designer gear. Online fashion auctions are attracting Chinese customers and younger clients.

Cleavage is out and comfort is in for bras and bralettes, a trend accelerated by coronavirus lockdowns when women stopped dressing to please men and some ditched their brassieres altogether.

Chinese professional shoppers were a common sight in luxury stores in London before the coronavirus pandemic, WeChatting their China-based clients about the latest goods. Will they return?

The recent Oprah interview and tension between Markle and Middleton will only up the fashion world’s obsession with the pair, but who will end up the British royal family’s true style icon?

Timberlands, Birkenstocks and Dr Martens used to be passed off as heavy and ugly – now fashionistas are likely to have at least one pair of each in their wardrobes.

Some of the world’s great designers were not only been inspired by gardens but created their own enduringly beautiful grounds. From England to Morocco, many are open to visitors.

When Britain left the European Union it scrapped a value-added-tax rebate on luxury purchases so EU nationals could not benefit from it. The rebate was popular with global luxury shoppers, and London risks losing its appeal to them, hurting local brands.

With the market saturated in China’s top-tier cities, luxury brands are turning to fashion-conscious millennials in second- and third-tier cities such as Chengdu and Hangzhou.

Netflix may soon be more powerful than Vogue when it comes to influencing how we dress.

You might need a VPN to view Instagram in China but wealthy luxury shoppers, especially those who have studied abroad, are still inspired by the platform, experts say.

Amazon has been trying to crack the fashion luxury business for years, while Alibaba’s Tmall has become the go-to for luxury brands in China.