These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Friday.

Independent designers made the 2025 Met Gala

Large fashion houses often dominate the Met Gala carpet, but this year, 45.9% of Met attendees were dressed by independent designers, versus 54.1% by brands housed under fashion groups, per Vogue Business. Thom Browne and Louis Vuitton took the top two spots with 18 and 15 looks, respectively. Sergio Hudson won the top spot for independent designers with 12 looks (though he reportedly dressed 18 total), followed by Fear of God at 11, Ozwald Boateng at 10 and Wales Bonner at 10. Of the top 10 brands featured on the Met Gala carpet, six are currently helmed by Black designers. {Vogue Business/paywalled}

Icon Magazine to launch U.S. edition

Gro Curtis, editor in chief of men’s fashion and lifestyle magazine Icon, is launching Icon America, a bi-annual, coffee table-style publication that will retail for $20. The first issue will feature four covers starring Robert De Niro, Leon Dame, Kit Butler and Malick Bodian. For the magazine’s “Models as Muses” package, John Galliano interviewed Dame, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana interviewed Butler and Kim Jones took on Bodian. Curtis told WWD the goal with Icon America is to offer a fresh take on the menswear market. {WWD/paywalled}

How Kallmeyer’s U.S.-manufactured model gives it an advantage

About 70% of Kallmeyer’s clothes are made in New York, giving the label an advantage amid Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Manufacturing in the U.S. means founder Daniella Kallmeyer and her small team face challenges like paying top dollar for cutting and sewing as well as having the team run on foot around the Garment District because the label’s blazers require specific expertise. Though being made in America requires more manpower, Kallmeyer doesn’t have to wait months for reordered styles to arrive from overseas. “I want our pieces to become vintage in people’s wardrobes,” Kallmeyer said. “The American heritage approach is the ‘slow and steady wins the race.'” {The Wall Street Journal/paywalled}

Trump’s policies are roiling Africa’s garment and textiles industry

Lesotho, a tiny southern African nation, is facing a 50% tariff as a result of Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs, the highest of any country except China. In 2024, the U.S. imported $237 million worth of goods from Lesotho and the nation imported $2.8 million of American-made products. Trump claims this isn’t fair to the U.S., but the 50% tariff does not take into account that 75% of Lesotho’s 2.3-million-strong population is classified as either poor or vulnerable to poverty and that this trade deficit doesn’t stem from maliciously unequal trade, but from the fact that garment manufacturing is a significant part of its economy. These tariffs will likely lead to layoffs and more pressure on suppliers’ already razor-thin margins. {Sourcing Journal}

India’s garment worker woes stifle tariff opportunity

American retailers like Walmart and Costco are ramping up queries to Indian apparel hubs in order to sidestep higher U.S. tariffs faced by Bangladesh and China, but India’s Tiruppur textile hub is facing a worker shortage. Trump plans to hit India, the world’s sixth largest textile and apparel exporter, with a 26% tariff from July, below the 37% imposed on Bangladesh, 46% on Vietnam and 145% on China. But India’s hopes of capitalizing on its tariff advantage are hindered by a skilled labor crunch, limited economies of scale and high costs. {Reuters}

How The Webster became a target partner for top luxury brands

The Webster first opened in Miami in 2009, and it has now expanded to 13 U.S. locations and grown its business 25% year-over-year in 2023, with online sales outpacing physical retail growth. The Webster’s model taps events and capsule collections timed to major cultural moments, and it has become a key partner for top luxury brands like Orlebar Brown and LaQuan Smith who want to reach the right customers. The Webster’s stores also act as immersive showcases for fashion and design with each of its locations tailored to its surroundings and to the local customer base. {Glossy/paywalled}

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