VF Corporation has been named one of the World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies 2021 by Forbes and Statista Inc. The lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories company ranked No. 12 out of 300. The World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies consists of multinational corporations evaluated and selected through an anonymous survey of approximately 85,000 women in 40 countries. “We believe in the advancement and empowerment of women and continuously strive to build a culture fueled by inclusion, powered by diversity and supported through equity initiatives,” said VF’s Lauren Guthrie, vice president of global inclusion and diversity. Survey respondents were asked to rate their employers on topics such as pay equity and parental leave. Statista also asked women to assess how companies used their platforms to market messages that promote gender equality.

MINDD, the lingerie company made for women who are sized D-plus, has announced a partnership with Victoria’s Secret as its exclusive retailer. The two brands began working together in early 2021, creating a collection specifically for the Victoria’s Secret audience. MINDD was founded by Helena Kaylin, who started her career in intimates at Victoria’s Secret in 2005. She then went on to hold leadership positions at brands including Lululemon, Under Armour and Calvin Klein. Kaylin launched MINDD in 2020 and created a patent-pending technology named MINDDTech that addresses seven zones throughout the bra that help deal with key pain points experienced by women who are sized D-plus. MINDD is available on the Victoria’s Secret website under the “Brands We Love” section.

Della Terra has tapped David Jassem to be chief operating officer for the sustainable, inclusive and ethical footwear brand. At Della Terra, Jassem will implement a program that allows the retail industry to grow in a sustainable direction. Della Terra plans to partner with stores to provide an alternative and sustainable shopping experience by shipping directly to consumers from the store, eliminating the need for carrying inventory. Jassem most recently worked with Chainson Footwear and Informa Markets and owned the David’s Shoes retail chain in Southern California for nearly 30 years. During his time at David’s Shoes, Jassem was an early adapter to computerized POS systems and digital shopping experiences in addition to working with accessible and sustainable brands.

PacSun has expanded its retail footprint by opening dedicated PacSun Kids stores across the United States. PacSun launched its kids’ category earlier in 2021 and organized several kids’ livestreams and pop-up events. The kids’ category was designed without gender in mind to cater to the 4-to-14-year-old audience. The PacSun Kids brand is featured alongside partner brands including Land Rover, Fear of God Essentials, Adidas, Santa Cruz, Vans and Champion. The first official PacSun Kids location opened on Nov. 4 at the Mall of America in Minnesota. PacSun plans to open five more PacSun Kids locations in 2022 and host more kids’ events at the Cerritos, Calif., store and the Brea, Calif., store, where PacSun Kids locations are expected to open.