Brands
Cookie Pookie makes tiny threads count with fashion that’s kind and cute
MUMBAI: In a delightful blend of cuteness and conscience, Cookie Pookie has officially toddled onto the kidswear scene armed with sustainable style for little ones aged 0 to 8. Designed with ultra-soft fabrics, fuss-free silhouettes, and planet-friendly processes, the brand is all about making childhood comfier and the future greener.
“Cookie Pookie was born out of a personal need – as a parent, I struggled to find kidswear that was both cute and conscious,” said Cookie Pookie founder & CEO Vandana Jaglan. “We wanted to create a label that speaks to modern parents who value quality, sustainability, and comfort. Each piece is made with love and the intention to last because we believe in quality fashion even for our little ones.”
With “Fashion that Cares” as its guiding motto, Cookie Pookie combines cheerful prints with compact-by-compact fabrics that are not just easy on the skin but also easy on the planet. The line-up includes onesies, rompers, coordinated sets, and tees all ethically crafted in Reach-compliant factories and packaged in recyclable, biodegradable materials.
But this brand isn’t just green, it’s smart too. From Indian baby-friendly sizing to research-backed design choices, each stitch has been thoughtfully tailored. The silhouettes encourage movement, ensuring that toddlers can play, tumble, and twirl with ease. Even better? Many styles are gender-neutral, designed to be passed down and loved again.
With its first collection out now, Cookie Pookie is poised to become every parent’s go-to for wardrobe essentials that are high on style, snug on skin, and soft on the planet. In a world of fast fashion, it’s a gentle reminder that little clothes can make a big difference.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
