Brands
Whitemuds pioneers handcrafted shoes with a global design team
Mumbai: Whitemuds, the luxury brand in men’s footwear, proudly introduces its latest offerings – a meticulously crafted ready-to-wear collection and an exclusive made-to-order line. With a bespoke atelier nestled in the heart of New Delhi, Whitemuds combines the timeless art of handcrafting shoes with a commitment to meeting the everyday and special occasion needs of its discerning clientele.
At the core of Whitemuds’ offerings are its unparalleled designs, curated by a talented team of designers spanning Bristol, Birmingham, and India. These designs go beyond mere fashion; they serve as a means for customers to express their unique style. Each design undergoes meticulous scrutiny, with carefully selected substrate choices and color combinations during the sampling stage. Only the most exceptional pieces make it to the hand-crafting production lines, ensuring that every pair tells a tale of sophistication and individuality.
One of Whitemuds’ hallmarks is the ‘Goodyear Welted’ construction method, renowned for its ergonomic comfort and ability to retain the shoe’s original shape even under extreme usage conditions. This construction, both highly durable and refurbished, involves stitching the upper leather, lining leather, and welt to the ribbing bonded to the insole. The welt is then carefully stitched to the leather sole, providing exceptional strength and allowing for sole replacements when necessary.
“We are elated to launch our ready-to-wear and made-to-order collections, representing the pinnacle of craftsmanship and luxury in men’s footwear. Whitemuds is dedicated to elevating your shoe experience, offering designs that go beyond the ordinary and constructions that stand the test of time,” said Whitemuds founder Dhruv Arya.
Whether seeking the convenience of ready-to-wear or the personalized touch of made-to-order, Whitemuds invites men to discover the perfect blend of style, comfort, and longevity.
Brands
Amazon Q1 revenue jumps 17 per cent to $181.5bn, profit soars to $30.3bn
AWS surges 28 per cent while AI bets reshape cash flow and drive future growth
SEATTLE: Amazon kicked off 2026 with a strong first quarter, reporting a 17 per cent year-on-year jump in net sales to $181.5 billion, up from $155.7 billion in the same period last year, as growth across cloud, advertising, and retail continued to gather pace.
Excluding a $2.9 billion favourable impact from foreign exchange, sales still rose a solid 15 per cent, underlining broad-based demand across its businesses.
The company’s cloud arm, Amazon Web Services, remained the star performer, with revenue climbing 28 per cent to $37.6 billion. Operating income for AWS reached $14.2 billion, up from $11.5 billion a year ago, reinforcing its role as Amazon’s profit engine.
Meanwhile, North America sales rose 12 per cent to $104.1 billion, while international revenue increased 19 per cent to $39.8 billion, or 11 per cent excluding currency effects.
Profit growth outpaced revenue. Operating income climbed to $23.9 billion from $18.4 billion last year, while net income surged to $30.3 billion, or $2.78 per share, compared with $17.1 billion, or $1.59 per share, in the first quarter of 2025. A significant boost came from $16.8 billion in pre-tax gains linked to Amazon’s investment in Anthropic.
Cash generation also strengthened, with operating cash flow rising 30 per cent to $148.5 billion over the trailing twelve months. However, free cash flow dropped sharply to $1.2 billion from $25.9 billion, largely due to a $59.3 billion increase in capital expenditure, primarily tied to artificial intelligence investments.
Commenting on the results, Amazon president and CEO Andy Jassy said, “We’re making customers’ lives easier and better every day across all our businesses, and their response is driving significant growth.”
He added that AWS growth of 28 per cent marked its fastest pace in 15 quarters, while Amazon’s chips business crossed a $20 billion annual revenue run rate, growing at triple-digit rates. Advertising revenue also crossed $70 billion on a trailing twelve-month basis, and store unit growth hit 15 per cent, its highest since the tail end of pandemic lockdowns.
Artificial intelligence remained front and centre of Amazon’s strategy. The company deepened partnerships with OpenAI, Meta, NVIDIA and Uber, while expanding its proprietary chip ecosystem including Trainium and Graviton.
Amazon revealed that it has already deployed over 2.1 million AI chips in the past year and plans to roll out more than one million NVIDIA GPUs starting in 2026. OpenAI alone is expected to consume around two gigawatts of Trainium capacity for advanced AI workloads beginning in 2027.
The company also highlighted rapid adoption of its AI services, with Amazon Bedrock processing more tokens in the first quarter than in all previous years combined, and customer spending on the platform rising 170 per cent quarter-on-quarter.
Beyond cloud and AI, Amazon continued to scale its consumer and logistics ecosystem. It delivered more than one billion items via same-day or overnight delivery so far in 2026 and expanded ultra-fast delivery services across multiple global markets. Prime Video also saw strong engagement, including sports streaming growth and box office success for original content like Project Hail Mary, which has grossed nearly $615 million globally.
Looking ahead, Amazon expects second-quarter net sales to reach between $194 billion and $199 billion, representing growth of 16 per cent to 19 per cent year-on-year. Operating income is projected between $20 billion and $24 billion.
Despite macro uncertainties ranging from foreign exchange fluctuations to global economic conditions, Amazon appears to be leaning into its biggest bets yet. With AI investments accelerating and cloud demand holding firm, the company is positioning itself not just for growth, but for what it calls the next big inflection in technology and commerce.
