Fendi releases BFF charms, platform sneakers
FENDI unveils a charm-filled world for the Fall/Winter 2025-26 Collection with the launch of the new Fendi BFF Maxi and Mini Charms and Fendi Match Platform Sneakers with Charms. First seen on the Fall/Winter 2025-26 anniversary runway, the charms, part of a limited series, are crafted in upcycled fabrics and fur to combine the brand’s craftsmanship with playfulness and creative circularity. The accessories come in two sizes. Luxurious materials and intricate details such as mini Baguette bags and Fendi dressing bring these characters to life. These include the charm Silvia which is dressed in a mini replica of the equestrian outfit designed by Karl Lagerfeld and worn by a seven-year-old Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1967 in a famous picture. Meanwhile, the new Fendi Match Platform Sneakers with Charms feature a higher platform and playful miniature charms. It now comes with a 5-centimeter platform and a smaller FF logo to give full focus to the interchangeable, removable charms, allowing full customization. Each pair is complemented by a set of three decorative charms that are exclusive to each colorway. The sneakers are available in four color combinations with matching chevron-patterned laces. These are available in selected Fendi boutiques worldwide and on fendi.com.
Nora Hair Salon gets recognition
THE Kami Charisma Japanese Hair Salon Guide (much like the Michelin Guide for top-rated restaurants) is a prestigious annual guide to Japan’s best salons. The Nora Hair Salon has been repeatedly featured and awarded on this prestigious list. With 12 branches in Tokyo and Osaka and three locations in the Philippines (SM North, Makati, and Robinsons Place Manila), Nora is growing in the country through their partnership with Techno Holdings Corp. The salon’s name was inspired by the Norwegian play A Doll’s House, where the main character, Nora, transforms into the ideal woman of a new era. The salon was founded in Aoyama, Japan, in 2007, and it focuses on thoroughly analyzing customers’ hair concerns, offering immersive shampoo experiences, creating innovative and signature styles, and performing precise layering — key traits of a Japanese hair salon they are very proud of. Another feature unique to Nora is the emphasis placed on the shampooing process in their shampoo bed. More than just a relaxing massage, it also encourages hair growth, stimulates blood flow, and, to some extent, has lifting properties. Nora also offers a hair spa. The salon was also a pioneer in Milktea coloring — mixing the color palette in proportions to produce soft and dreamy highlights. Nora Hair Salon will be opening the Nora Lab, its own hairstylist training academy, set to launch this August in Shangri-La Plaza. Two more branches of the salon are opening this year, increasing the total number of Nora Salons to six. Visit @norahairsalon.manila on Instagram for details.
Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy launch sustainability initiative
GAP, Old Navy, and Banana Republic are stepping up their commitment to sustainability, launching a campaign that encourages customers to reuse, recycle, and make mindful shopping choices. The American apparel brands have launched a new eco-conscious initiative in partnership with MAD Travel, a social enterprise focused on reforestation and community development. Customers who opt to use the store paper bags will be charged a minimal fee of P2 per bag used in-store and ordered online, with 100% of the proceeds directly supporting reforestation efforts in selected areas in the Philippines. Every peso collected will go towards planting trees and helping rural communities through MAD Travel’s environmental programs. MAD (short for Make A Difference) Travel’s mission is to educate local communities about restoration and sustainability in the context of green economies that can end poverty of people and planet. In 2024, the organization’s efforts rehabilitated 4,000 hectares of land in Zambales, working closely with Aeta communities to plant 62,000 seedlings. Gap has stores at SM Mall of Asia, Megamall, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Abreeza, Glorietta 4, Shangri-La Plaza, TriNoma, Alabang Town Center and Evia Lifestyle Center; Old Navy in Bonifacio High Street, One Ayala, Shangri-La Plaza; while Banana Republic is in Central Square and Rustan’s Makati. Shop online too at gap.com.ph, oldnavy.com.ph, and bananarepublic.com.ph.
