For some fashion founders, the journey starts in design school. For others, it’s at a fashion boutique or inside a major apparel company. But for Marcella Co-Founders Siyana and Andy Huszar, it started on Match.com.

“We are crazy, sort of in the same way,” Andy Huszar told Retail Brew. “No marriage counselor, no psychologist, no banker, no fashion person would have ever thought to come to us in 2012 and say, ‘You guys should start a fashion company.’”

The New York-founded womenswear brand known for its minimalist silhouettes and European-made garments has landed on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years. What began as a small Etsy shop has evolved into a multimillion-dollar business selling through its own website as well as marketplaces including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Farfetch.

The company's origins, however, were considerably humbler, per the Huszars.

Keep reading here.—JS

Luxury and tech have long operated in different worlds—one built on emotion and exclusivity, the other on data and efficiency. But AI is forcing a reckoning on this frosty dynamic.

Vêtir, for instance, is an AI-powered personal styling app that is working to change what luxury looks like in the age of agentic commerce.

During Retail Brew’s recent virtual event, Vêtir Founder and CEO Kate Davidson Hudson, talked about the state of the industry, Vêtir’s AI playbook, and how AI can lift luxury fashion, enabling stylists to curate better.

Keep reading here.—VC

After climbing 0.6% in April, consumer prices rose 0.5% month over month in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week. Prices also jumped 4.2% YoY, the sharpest annual increase in three years.

The price increase was largely driven by continually escalating energy prices, which rose 3.9% month over month and 23.5% YoY. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, was up 0.2% month over month.

Zoom in: Food inflation cooled but continued to tick up in May, rising 0.2% month over month after a 0.5% jump in April. Three of the six major grocery categories saw increases. Nonalcoholic beverages increased 0.6%, driven up by rising coffee and tea prices. Cereals and bakery products were up 0.4% and fruits and vegetables rose 0.2%.

As the grilling season approaches, prices for core summer staples remain elevated.

Keep reading here.—EC

Tired of one-size-fits-all job boards? CollabWORK highlights roles that reflect your interests and goals—delivered through communities like Retail Brew. Click here to explore the full job board.

• Category Manager, Walmart at Coty
• Senior Brand Manager, Persil at Henkel
• Sales Director, Retail & CPG at LiveRamp
• Category Manager at The Kinetic Group
• Category Manager II/III/Senior at Williams Companies