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This week's ATFT Newsroom: Gentle Monster revealed a second pair of smart glasses designs, Youtube is doing affiliate programs, and Reformation set to IPO for $239M.

Quick Headlines

Gentle Monster Unveils Second Google & Samsung Smart Frame
YouTube debuts Shopping Affiliate program with Boots, M&S and Next
Vestiaire Collective Released Their 2026 Impact Report
Reformation Launches IPO Targeting Up to $239M
Iceland’s Sowilo Raises Pre-Seed to Expand AI-Powered Fashion Product Intelligence Platform

Gentle Monster Unveils Second Google & Samsung Smart Frame

By Zoe Leung
Gentle Monster has unveiled the second design from its upcoming next-generation intelligent eyewear collection, developed in partnership with Google and Samsung. Following the first reveal earlier this year, this new optical frame introduces a clean square silhouette, offering a more understated expression of the brand’s design language.

The category-defying design extends Gentle Monster’s signature optical design language into a highly versatile everyday form engineered for natural, hands-free interaction. To capture the collection’s distinct fashion perspective ahead of its release, the brand introduced the silhouette through a striking campaign photographed by Éamonn Zeel Freel, starring global models Anok Yai and Alex Consani.

Engineered for seamless performance, the eyewear connects with both Android (Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel) and iOS (Apple iPhone) devices via a companion smartphone app. Wearers can utilize voice commands for music playback, calls, hands-free photography, real-time translation, turn-by-turn navigation, visual capture, and contextual AI assistance —allowing users to remain fully present in their environment.

Designed for lightweight, all-day comfort, the frames feature up to 9 hours of battery life on a single charge and an accompanying charging case that provides 7 or more additional full charges. The second frame joins the initial style ahead of the full collection launch, slated for release later this fall.

YouTube debuts Shopping Affiliate program with Boots, M&S and Next

By Katie Searles
YouTube is launching its Shopping Affiliate programme in the UK, in a move that creates “an ecosystem where creators, retailers and viewers connect seamlessly”.

Major UK retailers have already partnered with YouTube for this content tool, including Boots, Debenhams, Etsy, M&S, Next and Wayfair.

The video platform, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, has rolled out a raft of new tools and an expanded creator commerce offer, as it looks to cement its position in the fast-growing social shopping market.

Debenhams Group chief executive Dan Finley said: “The rise of content creators has fundamentally changed the way people shop. Customers are increasingly turning to creators they trust for product recommendations, and they want to be able to buy the moment inspiration strikes.”

The platform is introducing AI-powered features to “do the heavy lifting”, including auto-tagging products featured in videos, while also partnering with some of the world’s largest catalogues to bring more products onto YouTube.

It is also lowering the barrier to entry for creators, easing eligibility criteria so those with at least 500 subscribers can join the programme. It is also widening where shoppers can buy through YouTube, including bringing the experience to TV.

Vestiaire Collective Launches ‘Net Impact Score’ in 2026 Impact Report to Measure Resale’s Real Effect

In its 2026 Impact Report, luxury-resale platform Vestiaire Collective introduced a new Net Impact Score, developed with economic researchers, to measure how effectively resale shifts consumers away from buying new versus encouraging extra consumption. Based on 5,100+ user survey responses, ~85% said their purchase replaced a new item, and after accounting for the rebound effect nearly 9 in 10 received a positive net score.

Why it matters: It directly tackles the central criticism of resale — whether second-hand fuels overconsumption — with a measurable framework, from the first resale platform to reach B Corp status.

Full 2026 Impact Report here

Reformation Launches IPO Targeting Up to $239M

By Shubhendu Vimal
Reformation has launched its initial public offering, aiming to raise as much as $239m.

The company is offering 14.06 million shares of common stock priced between $15 and $17 apiece.

Of the total shares on offer, 9.47 million will be issued directly by the company, with the remaining 4.58 million coming from existing stockholders who are selling down their holdings.

Underwriters are set to be granted a 30-day option allowing them to buy a further 2.10 million shares at the offer price, minus applicable discounts and commissions, with these additional shares also being supplied by the selling stockholders.

As is standard for offerings of this kind, completion remains contingent on market conditions, with no guarantee given over whether the listing will proceed, nor over its eventual size or pricing.

The company has secured approval to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker REF.

Laura Harrier's Collaboration With Reformation Is A Dress Lover's Dream | British Vogue

Iceland’s Sowilo Raises Pre-Seed to Expand AI-Powered Fashion Product Intelligence Platform

By SaasRise
Icelandic fashion‑tech startup Sowilo raised a pre‑seed round backed by Kría, TGC Capital and angel investors to fund the global rollout of its AI‑powered product intelligence platform Catecut and launch a Shopify app.

Sowilo announced a pre‑seed funding round that will finance the worldwide expansion of its AI‑driven product intelligence platform, Catecut, and the launch of a dedicated Shopify app. The round was led by Iceland’s Kría fund, with participation from Netherlands‑ and India‑based TGC Capital and a group of angel investors from Iceland and Australia. Deal terms were not disclosed.

For Sowilo, the pre‑seed round provides the runway to transition from a pilot‑heavy model to a scalable SaaS business with recurring revenue from Shopify app subscriptions and enterprise contracts. The infusion also validates its technology stack, potentially accelerating upsell opportunities to existing customers seeking multilingual and SEO‑optimized content. Competitors such as Vue.ai and Syte, which focus on visual search and recommendation, may feel pressure as Catecut expands its content‑generation capabilities, forcing them to broaden their own product suites.

Overall, the round deepens the competitive dynamics in AI‑driven product content automation, prompting incumbents to accelerate product development and partnerships within the Shopify ecosystem.

Iceland's Sowilo raises pre-seed to expand AI fashion platform Catecut on Shopify | Dealroom.co

More Headlines

Fundraises

Sowilo (Catecut)
Undisclosed Pre-seed on July 21, 2026
Syntetica
$30 Million Series A on July 16, 2026

Acquisitions

Crown Brands Group acquired Cosabella (from Calida Group)
Undisclosed amount on July 23, 2026

New Additions to The Database

Outfitted (previously Wear Next)
Outsource your outfit decisions. Outfit ideas using clothes you already have.
Paré
What you own. What you want. What you wear. In one place. Elevate your style game.
In Search Of
Post your search, let sellers find you.
Relist
Acquire new customers through resale rewards. We add a rewards layer on top of resale so the brand re-acquires that reseller and drives a fresh purchase. We call it resale rewards.
Trace
The first presale marketplace for fashion. Girl math, but make it real.

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