These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Thursday.

Fashion stocks rise after tariff pause on all countries but China

Donald Trump put a 90-day pause on all the sweeping, country-specific tariffs he imposed last week, except for China, leading to many fashion stocks rising on Wednesday. Instead of the heftier duties Trump originally announced, many of which fell hardest on apparel manufacturing countries, the U.S. will impose a universal 10% tariff on all trading partners, but it will increase levies on China up to 125%. Last week, many fashion companies saw their stock prices plummet, but are currently seeing a rebound for the time being. Shares of Capri rose more than 30%, while Vans and Timberland owner VF Corp rose 28%. Levi’s climbed 20%, Ralph Lauren rose 14% and Nike was up 11%. {Business of Fashion/paywalled}

Reformation accused of cultural appropriation

Reformation’s new collaboration with Devon Lee Carlson features a three-piece outfit of a baby blue midi skirt, flowy camisole and a long thin scarf that some TikTok users have claimed resembles a South Asian lehenga. In a TikTok video posted by Sai Ananda, she does a side-by-side comparison, showing a still from an early 2000s Bollywood movie in which an actress is wearing a lehenga that, she notes, has “a lot of similarities” to Reformation’s outfit. A spokesperson for Reformation said in an emailed statement to The New York Times that the brand respects “the origin of this criticism given South Asian culture’s influence on Western style” and said that “no item of clothing or trend can be considered in isolation without broader historical and cultural precedent.” {The New York Times/paywalled}

Revolve and Vivrelle partner on AI styling tool

Revolve is partnering with Vivrelle, a luxury accessories membership club, to launch Complete The Look, an AI-powered styling tool allowing members to style Vivrelle accessories with curated looks from Revolve and FWRD. According to Vivrelle, Complete The Look marks the first time that rental, resale and traditional retail have joined under one umbrella. The second phase of the partnership launches this summer with Ella, an AI concierge that will act as a personalized fashion assistant. Ella converts prompts like “bachelorette weekend outfits” into curated suggestions across Vivrelle, Revolve and FWRD. {Fashionista inbox}

Sephora named official beauty partner of Golden State Valkyries

WNBA team the Golden State Valkyries and Sephora U.S. have entered a multi-year partnership, making the beauty retailer a founding partner of the Valkyries. Sephora will be the naming rights partner for the team’s Oakland-based performance center, rebranded as the “Sephora Performance Center.” Sephora will also be the presenting partner for the Valkyries Content Day and Training Camp. The performance center will feature Sephora-branded elements throughout its spaces, and Sephora’s branding will also be visible on the team’s practice jerseys. {Sephora}

Cosmopolitan launches Cosmo Sports

On Thursday, Cosmopolitan launched Cosmo Sports, a new series offering all-day access to some of the most influential names in collegiate and professional athletics. Cosmo Sports follows an athlete for a full day to capture “who they are, not just what they do.” The debut edition of Cosmo Sports spotlights basketball star A’ja Wilson photographed by Ashley Markle. In the cover story written by Christen A. Johnson, Wilson talks overcoming imposter syndrome, how basketball shaped who she is and launching her new Nike A’One signature shoe. Read the full cover story here. {Cosmopolitan}

What happens after a brand is called out for worker exploitation?

Investigative non-profit Transparentem published a report in early February detailing alleged worker exploitation in fashion supply chains across Taiwan, potentially implicating 40 major fashion companies through indirect suppliers. The main issue was evidence of migrant workers paying recruitment fees to work in the country, trapping them in a cycle of debt with their employers, which made it harder to raise other abuses. The brands involved had been made aware of the allegations over a year prior, but Patagonia had already found the issue and had been working to fix it for over a decade. Vogue Business’ Bella Webb explores Patagonia’s approach to remediation including eliminating fees for migrant workers. {Vogue Business/paywalled}

LVMH’s Texas facility is one of Louis Vuitton’s worst performing locations

In 2019, LVMH opened a factory in rural Texas that would make designer handbags for Louis Vuitton. But since the factory’s opening, it has faced many problems limiting production, 11 former Louis Vuitton employees told Reuters. The factory has consistently ranked among the worst performing for Louis Vuitton globally, “significantly” underperforming other facilities, according to three former Louis Vuitton workers and a senior industry source. The Texas site has struggled due to a lack of skilled leather workers able to produce at the brand’s quality standards. {Reuters}

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