The long queues in front of leading luxury stores in Paris this weekend might suggest they were holding the high-end equivalent of a Black Friday sale.
But the crowds gathered outside Dior headquarters on Avenue Montaigne, the Guerlain flagship on Avenue des Champs-Elysées or the Chaumet salons on Place Vendôme weren’t looking to part with any cash just to catch a glimpse behind the scenes of some of the 70 brands that form LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
The event is the brainchild of Antoine Arnault, head of communication and image of LVMH, who launched the biennial initiative in 2011 to counter a perception that the group was only interested in making money.
Antoine Arnault launched the event with a cocktail party on Thursday at the group’s headquarters in front of the new building “the Good Samaritan” where he posed with his father the lord of Luxury, LVMH chairman and chief executive officer Bernard the Great. Continue reading
Donatella Versace will hold her Versace pre-fall collection in New York on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. The date has a special meaning for the designer, as it is her late brother Gianni’s birthday. Details about the location are being kept under wraps.
Louis Vuitton has named Sophie Brocart, chief executive officer of Jean Patou, signaling its commitment to reviving the dormant fashion house under the creative direction of Guillaume Henry.
“With 70 brands and 150,000 staff worldwide, there’s no doubt that LVMH, the parent company of brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Guerlain, Bulgari and others…, is a global corporate
Could Lanvin, said to be searching for new designer, have its eye on a hidden talent? The French house is in talks with Bruno Sialelli, who recently exited Loewe, where he was head of men’s wear. The likelihood of the house and the designer securing an agreement could not immediately be learned. Lanvin could not immediately be reached for comment.
We were packed like sardines in Courrèges store located rue Francois 1er pumped with music and with people in a democratic move for crowd control. It was all standing, which also meant it was difficult to see her newly promised vision. Or, as the show notes states : “How the future is behind you.” This could also mean : let forget the past to free her of the specific codes of the house which built its name and aesthetic on space age. Then perhaps the cagoules and techno festival looks that came out made sense.
An exclusive hotel in Paris opened his doors for Canal-luxe.
Nicolas Ghesquière tapped into his obsessions with sci-fi imagery and garment construction with a collection designed to empower women.
Traffic literally stopped. After the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, it is L’oréal which halted the traffic on the River, the Seine. In front of the Musée d’Orsay and Tuileries gardens, and on a footbridge, people gazed at a floating, 195-foot-long catwalk.
Hermès held its spring show at the Longchamp racecourse, as did Dior earlier in the week, just to tease Mister Arnault. The two houses made very different uses of the venue. If Dior was your rich gypsy aunt who reads Tarot cards and loves modern dance, Hermès was her richer, snobbier sister, for whom tastefulness is next to godliness. She’s not as much fun as the bohemian, but her cashmere is softer, her Champagne is crisper and you can put money on her horse it always seems to win. 
