Category Archives: PARIS FASHION WEEK 2018
GUCCI VESPER FOR THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Alessandro Michele deserves the award for the most dazzling spectacle to date in a season thick with powerful imagery. The Gucci creative director chose the Alyscamps, a Roman necropolis in the southern French city of Arles, as the setting for his show, and took full advantage of the area’s epic history with a nighttime display that transcended space and time with a trove of references ancient and modern. Continue reading
THE SWIMSUIT YOU MUST HAVE
JIL SANDERS PRE-FALL
CARVEN CHAPTER 11
The house was founded in 1945 by the late Madame Carven, the French couturier who traveled the world with her collections. The French contemporary brand and its parent company, Société Béranger, have filed a voluntary petition with the Paris Commercial Court for the French equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the spokesman said.
Carven underwent a renaissance under Sebaoun and the former artistic director Guillaume Henry, who positioned it as a contemporary brand.
After Henry moved to Nina Ricci, the brand initially named Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud as artistic directors for the women’s collections, and Barnabé Hardy for men’s.
The company, which was “already fragile,” was hit to the tune of several million euros by a delay in the production of its spring 2018 collection designed by Serge Ruffieux, which forced it to cancel deliveries, he explained. Carven, which employs 99 people, has annual revenues in the region of 20 million euros. Continue reading
DIOR HAS NAMED C.DELAPALME
Charles Delapalme must be the new Diore managing director of commercial activities. The appointment takes effect on June 15, 2018.
“Charles will be taking over from Serge Brunschwig,” Dior said in a press release Tuesday morning. Brunschwig left Dior in January to become president of Fendi, which like Dior is a major fashion house within the giant LVMH luxury conglomerate. While at Dior, Brunschwig’s principal role was overseeing Dior Homme.
Moving in the opposite direction Delapalme joins Dior from Fendi where since 2016 he has been Managing Director of Retail & Wholesale.
While at Fendi, Delapalme reported to Pietro Beccari, the former president of the Roman luxury brand who is became CEO of Dior in January. Continue reading
BALMAIN A COPY CAT COLLECTION
A collection representing the whole collection of other designers. Who copies who? thank you Mr. Rousteing for this retrospective.
BRITISH DRESS OF SUSSEX
I am a working mother, I am used to juggling schedules! In total, about 50 people worked on the dress, veil, shoes and bridesmaids’dresses. Three thousand, nine hundred hours over the course of four months work.
Clare Waight Keller was born in Birmingham, England on 19 August 1970. She studied at Ravensbourne College of Art, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fashion, followed by a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art.
She started her career at Calvin Klein in New York as a stylist for the women’s ready-to-wear line, then at Ralph Lauren, for the Purple man line.In 2000, she was hired by Tom Ford to join Gucci, responsible for women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, until her departure in 2004.
After months of speculation about Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, with names including Ralph & Russo, Erdem and Franck Sorbier being tossed around like bridal bouquets, the designer turned out to be Clare Waight Keller.Indeed, the artistic director of Givenchy fulfilled her assignment with such discretion that only she and Markle knew who and what the dress being designed was for. Continue reading
J’ADIOR MYKONOS
Dior is opening a Pop-up shop in Mykonos in June. Maria Grazia Chiuri has designed exclusive pieces, including Dior Book Tote bags featuring the name of the island woven into the canvas.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of women’s collections at the French fashion house, has designed a collection of exclusive pieces for the occasion, including striped bodysuits and sweaters, silk cravats and cotton pareos bearing the slogan “J’adior Mykonos.”
The boutique will also carry advance items from Dior’s fall collection, including Dior Oblique zipped pouches, baseball caps and berets, and a Dioraddict bag that can be accessorized with a choice of five straps. These items will be available in Dior boutiques worldwide from mid-July.
The Greek influence could be felt in his designs from 1953, with dresses carrying names such as Athènes, Corfou and Rhodes. Maria is reinventing in copying looks in the archives of the Fashion House! At Myconos, Dior is becoming Iconos!
CATE BLANCHETT IN McCARTNEY
Today is the first day of both the Cannes Film Festival and the rest of our lives, since it truly doesn’t matter what happened prior to jury president Cate Blanchett and her peers storming the red carpet on the Croisette.
Blanchett was dressed by the British Designer, Stella McCartney who has just put an end to her cooperation with Kering. Everybody wonders why such a situation… However if you look at the jacket worn by Cate you understand. I do not know who has tailored and sewed this jacket but surely not someone who has studied couture. it looks more like if it had been done by H&M or Zara and I am not sure you will find something so badly made. Shame on you Mrs McCartney…
Blanchett was joined by fellow jurors Ava DuVernay, Kristen Stewart, Léa Seydoux, and Burundian singer Khadja Nin, and while their looks were incredible enough when taken on their own, the five ladies combined to form a Voltron of glamour. Eventually, they were joined by the male jurors actor Chang Chen and directors Denis Villeneuve, Robert Guédiguian, and Andrey Zvyagintsev and entered the Palais for a press conference.
One journalist asked the jury whether the focus on red-carpet fashion was frivolous, given the more important matters at hand for women in the film industry. Blanchett answered easily. “Being attractive,” she said, “doesn’t preclude being intelligent.” Continue reading
VASKA TBILISI 2018
HYÉRES FESTIVAL
“Hyères” “means in French yesterday” During Sunday night’s prizegiving for the 33rd Festival International De Mode, De Photographie Et D’Accessoires De Mode a Hyères, Lisi Herrebrugh are a Dutch duo, neither of them fluent in the local speak and therefore momentarily ignorant their names had just been called. So their models beat them to the podium, their chaotic exuberance amplifying the winning collection of menswear infused with the couple’s Caribbean roots. Continue reading
FRENCH LOOSING CRAFTSHIP
As consumer demand for artisan craftsmanship continues to flourish, brands and retailers are integrating one-of-a-kind, hand-made objects and accessories into their product offerings.
To work in the fashion industry, one must understand the processes behind it. There are two levels of perception. The first level is tangible it implies the aspects of the product that you can consciously touch, smell and perceive, such as quality, comfort and elegance that are the very lifeblood of artisanship.
People started buying Louboutin shoes because, unlike others, they were extremely comfortable, original in design and crafted by hand. This level is based on logic but when it comes to customer choice, fashion has almost nothing to do with rationality. This brings us to the second level that is intangible and rooted in our subconscious. Continue reading
KRISTINA FIDELSKAYA
VALENTINO ASSOCIATION WITH DEVIL
Valentino has linked with Chinese giant Alibaba to give its Candystud collection some pop in Beijing. Maison Valentino is launching two limited-edition Valentino Garavani Candystud bags, four exclusive sneakers styles and a collection of small leather goods to mark the occasion.
The collaboration will help promote the Valentino Garavani Candystud collection at a Valentino pop-up store in Beijing’s Sanlitun neighborhood and on a 3-D virtual store on Tmall Space, where the platform’s Luxury Pavilion hosts pop-up shops.
Jessica Liu, president of fashion and luxury at Tmall, said, “Valentino’s simultaneous running of a physical Candystud Factory pop-up store in Beijing and online with a Pavilion Tmall Space is a perfect illustration of how luxury brands can leverage Alibaba to engage their consumers and take advantage of the New Retail opportunity.” Continue reading
KERING FOCUSES ON LUXURY
Does Kering need some money to pay Hedi Slimane’s allemony after the divorce?
In 2011, Kering acquired Volcom, an action sports brand. One of the less visible brands at Kering has begun taking steps to sell action sports brand Volcom to focus fully on the group’s luxury labels.
“In accordance with Kering’s strategy to fully dedicate itself to the development of its luxury houses, the group is also ready to spin off German sportswear brand Puma.
As reported, Kering and Stella McCartney on March 28 said have agreed to end their 17-year partnership and that the designer would purchase Kering’s 50 percent stake in her namesake brand. Continue reading
BLINDNESS FALL WINTER 2018 SEOUL
LIE SÉOUL FASHION WEEK
Chung Chung Lee was born and raised in Seoul to renowned designer parents who founded the legendary Korean fashion house LIE SANGBONG. Having access to the atelier since the age of six, runways and various fashion week events across the globe since the age of 14, Chung Chung was raised in an environment that fostered creativity and encouraged experimentation, hence his innate inclination toward the arts. Continue reading
SANTOS BROKECASH MONTAIN
Jake Gyllenhaal is joining forces with Cartier as the new face of its Santos de Cartier watch, The star of films “Brokeback Mountain” an American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee, adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx.
Jake Gyllenhaal embodies the Santos de Cartier man. A man who commits utterly and does nothing by halves. A man who defines fearless as honest and true to himself,” Cartier said in a statement on Monday.
Though considered one of Hollywood’s most stylish leading men, Gyllenhaal has been highly selective in his brand endorsements.
The American actor and producer last year made his debut as an ambassador for Calvin Klein’s Eternity fragrance in a black-and-white spot shot by Cary Fukunaga. Continue reading
LANVIN OLIVIER STONING
Since the Chinese conglomerate, Fosun International, took over Lanvin, the French fashion house, they started by parting away with its creative director Olivier Lapidus and general manager Nicolas Druz. In the meantime, the women’s collections will be designed by an in-house team in the interim.
Joann Cheng, president of Fosun Fashion Group and chairman of the board of directors of Lanvin, has been appointed chief executive officer of the house for an interim period, effective immediately. Druz, who had led the brand since 2017, will take up the new position of managing director of Fosun Fashion Group, where he will support the group’s business expansion in Europe.
“Olivier steered the maison through a transitional period between ownerships,” said Cheng. “We thank him for that, and wish him every success for his own brand and future endeavors.” Continue reading
HERMES, FLY ME TO THE MOON
Hermès International confirmed its objectives for revenue growth in the medium term, despite growing economic, geopolitical and monetary uncertainties worldwide.
The manufacturer of Kelly bags and silk scarves said that net profits raised by 11% last year to 1.22 billion euros, up from 1.1 billion euros in 2016.
Hermès is in mutation. It becomes a cash machine for stakeholders. When shareholders starts being more important than clients, the products enclines to become low quality products. However for Chinese clients it is not a big deal. Continue reading
JAPAN NEW LOOK
KIM JONES REPLACES VAN ASSCHE
Kim Jones will present his first collection for Dior Homme in June as its new artistic director of ready-to-wear and accessory collections. The previously men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton is succeeding Kris Van Assche and will start on April 1. We hope it is not an April fool.
The arrival of Jones represents the first big move by Pietro Beccari, who became chairman and chief executive officer at Christian Dior Couture six weeks ago after stints at Fendi and Vuitton. With his streetwear credibility, 345,000 Instagram followers and loads of famous friends, Jones will be sure to shake up Dior Homme.
“I am delighted to welcome Kim Jones, with whom I had the chance to collaborate previously at Louis Vuitton,” Beccari told . Continue reading
OFF SCORE KERING GROUP
French luxury group Kering has refuted a report of alleged tax evasion published by Mediapart, a French investigative and opinion newspaper, citing confidential documents.
It would seem that the Kering’s brand Gucci has been investigated by the Italian tax authorities that has revealed that Kering had saved 2.5 billion euros in taxes. It should have paid in Italy and France by attributing wholesale revenues from brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent to its LGI logistics center in Cadempino, Switzerland, thereby benefiting from a lower local tax rate. Kering said the Swiss company was established in the Nineties, prior to the group’s acquisition of Gucci Group, and now employs more than 600 people.
LGI is a strategic hub namely for the centralized distribution and logistics of Kering brands it said in a statement. Continue reading
A PERFUME OF INFLUENCES
Three influencers pick by Bulgari Parfums to help launch its new Omnia Pink Sapphire eau de toilette the pinkest and poppiest scent the brand has ever put out. Described as a sparkling burst of citrus.
“Bella Hadid and Amanda Steele are probably not the first people who come to mind when one thinks of Bulgari.
Created by master perfumer Alberto Morillas, the scent hits counters on Thursday and will see a widened Macy’s distribution as a way to better reach the brand’s target customer. Following in the footsteps of Marc Jacobs, Dior, Hermès, Ferragamo and Coach, the brand is the latest luxury fragrance house to prioritize the social media set, adopting a largely digital first marketing strategy to attract the new generation of beauty consumers. Continue reading
BALMAIN FALL WINTER 2018-19 PARIS
Balmain Fall-Winter 2018-19 collection presented in Paris is a futuristic vision of feature from 90s. Models in sci-fi uniforms in neon-spectrum plissé and holographic paillettes look like girls from Andy Warhol Vinyl Factory or planet of Glamoria. Sparkly and shiny steampunk collection of Balmain has a moto : “We are the new generation”, as read on a T-shirt. There are also some disco inspired pieces, and pieces related to pollution of planet and plastic bags. Continue reading
LANCEL LEAVES RICHEMONT
The Italian accessories brand Piquadro has entered into negotiation to buy the French label “Lancel” which is part of the Swiss luxury Richemont group, parent company of Cartier, Dunhill and Van Cleef & Arpels. Piquadro is an Italian leather goods company specialized in travel and business goods. The company offers products ranging from professional bags for men and women to luggage and small leather goods. In April 2010, it distributed its products in around 1,500 retail outlets. Piquadro holds a large number of patents in recognition of its technical innovations.
Piquadro listed on the Milan Stock Exchange has confirmed talks and that an agreement could be reached by the middle of the year. The sale of Lancel would follow the sale of Shanghai Tang by Richemont last year to an Italian investor. Richemont is currently planning to buy 100% of Yoox Net-a-Porter Group shares as part of an agreement expected later this year. Continue reading