These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Friday.

Caleres acquires Stuart Weitzman

Footwear firm Caleres has bought Stuart Weitzman from Tapestry Inc. for $108.7 million. The acquisition is expected to strengthen the company’s standing in the global footwear market. Other shoe brands in Caleres’ portfolio include Famous Footwear, Sam Edelman, Naturalizer and Dr. Scholl’s Shoes. {Caleres Inc.} 

Youthforia is shutting down

Indie beauty brand Youthforia is ceasing operations due to a significant drop in sales. Its closure follows a major controversy last year, when the brand received severe backlash over the shade range of a foundation, which featured a jet-black pigment as its darkest option. Influencers and beauty industry insiders quickly criticized the brand for racial insensitivity, and retailers like Revolve and Thirteen Lune dropped the label. Youthforia is holding a closing sale on its website for its remaining stock. {Business of Fashion/paywalled}

American Eagle responds to Sydney Sweeney campaign backlash

For the past few days, American Eagle has been under fire due to what many consider to be a “tone deaf” Sydney Sweeney ad. In one of the campaign videos, Sweeney’s script sparked criticism about race, eugenics and Western beauty standards. However, American Eagle is defending its campaign: The brand posted on Instagram that the ad “is and always was about the jeans” and that “great jeans look good on everyone.” {Instagram}

Maeve launches as a standalone brand

Anthropologie Group’s in-house label Maeve will now operate as a standalone brand. Going forward, Maeve will have independent social media channels and its own storefronts. The brand is best known for its assortment of versatile, timeless-yet-modern pieces that attract customers across multiple generations. {Fashionista inbox}

Vivienne Westwood denies ripping off street artists

Vivienne Westwood has responded to a lawsuit filed by three artists, who claim the British designer sold products featuring their artwork without their consent or compensation. The brand denies these accusations, arguing its apparel does not include visuals protected under copyright. Jeffrey Gluck, an attorney for the three artists, told WWD that he was “disappointed” by Vivienne Westwood’s reaction and will continue to fight for street artists whose work is continuously exploited by corporations. {WWD/paywalled}

Business of Fashion launches AI tool

Business of Fashion launched The Brain of Fashion, a generative AI tool that answers readers’ questions about fashion and beauty. The AI agent is trained on BoF’s extensive archive of articles and reports, with fact-checking capabilities to ensure accurate answers. The Brain of Fashion’s beta mode is now available for BoF members to test out. {Business of Fashion/paywalled}

How tariffs are impacting customer service jobs

Brands, especially smaller ones, are replacing customer service reps with AI-powered chatbots to alleviate tariff costs. Even when founders cut non-essential costs, such as reducing employee hours, it still hasn’t been enough to offset tariff-driven expenses. Relying on chatbots and AI-powered customer service tools isn’t only a money-saver for brands, but it’s also a relatively low-risk investment, as most customers don’t mind if online service lacks a human touch. {Modern Retail}

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