Luxury fashion looks like a world of independent maisons, but much of the industry is controlled by a handful of powerful conglomerates. LVMH, Kering and Richemont own some of the biggest names in fashion, jewellery and luxury, while recent acquisitions and sell-offs show how ownership continues to shift between major groups. This article looks at who really owns luxury fashion and what consolidation means for independent designers and consumers.

Long before Jane Birkin inspired fashion's most famous handbag, Babe Paley was quietly defining modern style. A Vogue editor, socialite, and one of the world's best-dressed women, Paley popularized the Hermès scarf on a handbag, embraced high-low dressing decades before it became mainstream, and left an enduring legacy that continues to influence fashion today. Her remarkable life, friendships, and personal resilience reveal the woman behind one of fashion's most overlooked s