Over the past few seasons, sustainability has remained a major theme at New York Fashion Week with designers across the board increasingly incorporating recyclable, and dead-stock fabrics into their collections.

This year, the theme continued as Collina Strada, among other major brands, served up a collection championing sustainability, a commitment that remained central to the foundation of the company.

The New York-based retailer that said it serves as a “platform for climate awareness, social awareness, change, and self expression,” presented a series of outfits crafted from a thrift store haul in New Jersey. Founder Hillary Taymour transformed “heirloom wedding dresses into modern Collina couture,” that included dresses, wool coats, and other outerwear, the show notes stated.

A big standout at the show, however, were the accessories created in collaboration with Brooklyn-based biomaterials company TômTex.

Made with the company’s proprietary biodegradable vegan materials, the line of accessories featured black leather bags and hand purses—all channeling fun silhouettes such as “scrunchie bag” and “dog muff.”

Keep reading here.—JS

As calls grow among civil rights leaders and Black clergy to boycott Target after it announced on January 24 that it was backtracking on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, foot traffic is down at its stores, according to data from Placer.ai prepared exclusively for Retail Brew.

Target’s announcement was on a Friday, and on the following week that began January 27, foot traffic fell 4% YoY, then fell 8.6% the week beginning February 3, and 3.9% the week beginning February 10. It was the first drop in foot traffic this year for Target, with foot traffic for the first four weeks of 2025 up between 5% and 11.8%.

Walmart, which also rolled back DEI (and which has been the subject of less concerted boycotts), also saw foot traffic fall for the first time this year on the same week as Target, albeit less dramatically. Foot traffic fell by 2.7% YoY on January 27, 2.9% on the week beginning February 3, and 1.4% on the week beginning February 10.

Cost-go: Costco, which has resisted pressure from shareholders, 19 Republican attorneys general, and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck to dump its DEI program, has seen traffic rise YoY for the same three-week period: up 5.8% on the week beginning January 27, 5.7% on the week beginning February 3, and 4.6% on the week beginning February 10.

Keep reading here.—AAN

The biggest retailer in the US just purchased a mall, and it might have something to do with the tight market for retail space, one expert told Retail Brew.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Walmart has purchased the Monroeville Mall—famously featured in the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead—outside of Pittsburgh for $34 million. Former owner CBL Properties announced the sale in January, and in early February, Texas-based commercial real estate firm Cypress Equities said it would lead the redevelopment of the 1.2 million-square-foot property, though it didn’t name the buyer.

Walmart confirmed its involvement in the redevelopment, but would not provide details about specific plans.

Keep reading here.—AV