Must Read: Luxury 'Dupe' Brands Resonate with Middle-Class Shoppers, DVF takes Operations In-House

These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Monday.

Luxury 'dupe' brands resonate with middle-class shoppers
Brands like Quince's and Italic's "same, but cheaper" propositions are gaining traction in the middle-class market. These brands often claim to use the same manufacturers as luxury retailers, offered at a lesser price point — a major draw for middle shoppers opposed to fast fashion. Quince's annual sales reached nearly $300 million last year and the company hopes to pass $1 billion in 2024. While the brands continue to grow their customer bases through social media ads and simple comparison tactics, critics say the startups lack their own identities. {Business of Fashion/paywalled}

DVF takes operations in-house
Diane von Furstenberg's DVF will be managed in-house by new CEO Graziano de Boni, after three years of global business management by Glamel. In a press release shared Friday, the company announced that De Boni quietly joined the team in October of 2023 and has spent the past 10 months developing a brand strategy plan. De Boni's previous experience includes founding brand consulting firm Boni Consulting and senior leadership roles at Valentino, Prada and Armani. {Fashionista inbox}

Condé Nast gets cozy with AI
The publisher will be licensing its content to OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, making content from publications Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ and more available on OpenAI platforms including ChatGPT and prototype SearchGPT. Partnership is the opposite approach to that of The New York Times and publisher Alden Global Capital (which owns the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News) as both companies sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, stating that their journalism was used to train OpenAI technology without consent. AI is also having a negative impact on media publishers' traffic, but Conde CEO Roger Lynch positioned the partnership as a way to "make up for some of that revenue" that had been lost as tech companies "eroded publishers' ability to monetize content."  {Business of Fashion/paywalled}

Tough times for fashion retail will continue in second half
Though it's usually a more lucrative period for retailers, the second half of 2024 will likely continue first-half economic trends, defined by high interest rates and a slowing job market. Taking these factors and a potentially chaotic election season into account, Wells Fargo Analyst Ike Borchow says the economy will likely slow by at least 1-2 points by the end of the year. {WWD/paywalled}

Sézane launches childrenswear for Fall 2024
Designed for sartorial ease and inspired by founder Morgane Sézalory's own children, Petit Sézane will offer 135 styles for babies of 6-24 months and 316 styles for ages 1-12 years, as well as mommy-and-me options. "I wanted to wait several years before embarking on the journey of Petit Sézane, wanting to see my children grow up, learning how to dress them for each new stage of life and discovery, allowing them to move and live freely," Sézalory said in a statement. "Taking the time to sit back and observe was essential in creating this line of classics and treasurable pieces – designed to bring joy to my girls, their friends and grown-ups alike." The line will be available to shop Sept. 1 online and in select stores. {Fashionista inbox}

Atlanta Fashion Week to return with FUBU relaunch
Set for Oct. 2-7, Atlanta Fashion Week (ATLFW) will kick off with a FUBU Fall 2024 preview followed by showrooms, activations and runway shows by 25-plus brands at Interlock Tower. The week will continue with the Sneaker Ball, ATLFW x Bloomingdale's pop-up and the unveiling of a collaborative exhibit by the Trap Music Museum and Buckhead Art & Co. The exhibit, celebrating Atlanta's rich streetwear history, will run from Oct. 7-20. {Fashionista inbox}

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