Brands
Elle List Awards 2026: here’s everything that went down
MUMBAI: Mumbai’s creative elite gathered at Taj Lands End for the ELLE List Awards 2026, driven by BYD, in a celebration that fused fashion credibility with cultural influence. The platform, which sits at what Ogaan Media chief executive Mahesh Nambiar, calls “the intersection of editorial credibility and cultural opportunity”, honoured changemakers across fashion, entertainment, design and social impact.
The red carpet drew Tamannaah Bhatia, Dia Mirza, Shanaya Kapoor, Shaan, Manish Malhotra, Pulkit Samrat, Sahher Bambba, Sayani Gupta, Atul Kasbekar, Avinash Tiwary, designers Falguni Shane Peacock, Ritika Mirchandani, Aarti Vijay Gupta, Ranna Gill, Rianta Chakraborty, Kubbra Sait, Karan Tacker, Rocky Star, Fern Mallis, Kallol Datta, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma and Dhaval Udeshi. Prateik Smita Patil and Priya Banerjee Patil hosted.
Elle India publishing director Nydia Dias, described the awards as “a strategic platform that connects influence with opportunity”, whilst editorial director Ainee Nizami Ahmedi, emphasised recognition of “originality, purpose, and the ability to shape culture in ways that feel authentic and lasting”.
The evening extended beyond the ballroom through robust digital engagement, transforming the awards into a cross-platform cultural conversation. Elle positioned itself as curator of contemporary Indian creativity, spotlighting individuals committed to cultural impact alongside commercial success.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
