Category Archives: Uncategorized

UMOJA SNIKER

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The young brand Umòja is launching Mmea, a sneaker designed between France, Burkina Faso and Portugal, featuring traditional know-how.

Combining traditional know-how and innovative raw materials, Lancine Koulibaly and Dieuveil Ngoubou, founders of the brand have been thinking about creating a shoe that is “100% traceable, from the lace to the eyelet” since 2018. The two collaborators then looked for partners capable of designing all the elements of a shoe from eco-friendly materials.

In 2021, the results are in: the Mmea shoe, which means plant in the Swahili language, is composed of an upper made of organic raw cotton, hand-woven in Burkina Faso. The outsole is made of hevea milk, designed by a Lyon-based company that has also developed hevea foam reinforcements for Umòja. The midsole, the reinforcements and the heel are made of hemp fiber and come from Rouen.

Finally, the braids and laces are made of linen and everything is assembled in Portugal with a natural latex glue. According to Lancine Koulibaly, the shoe can go into industrial compost. Continue reading →

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

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The Ermenegildo Zegna Group is taking another step toward a more sustainable future.
The Italian men’s wear company has signed a deal with Stellantis, the Amsterdam-based automotive company created in 2021 from the merger between Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and French PSA Group, to develop a sustainable mobility program.

Zegna Group will implement a strategy to make its company’s fleet, which \ includes 200 cars, fully green by 2025 by progressively introducing plug-in hybrid and full electric vehicles to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution.

According to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, the car company will put at the disposal of Zegna 30 different models between affordable plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.

Today’s announcement is a perfect illustration of the capacity of Stellantis to support the Zegna Group toward a zero emission objective for its employees and its supply chain, with state of the art green cars; said Stellantis chairman John Elkann. “Today, environmental, social and corporate governance is at the core of every responsible management decision and it is our common objective to demonstrate that companies have a clear role to behave against global warming. Continue reading →

RITZ AND CHANEL SIDE BY SIDE

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François Perret, head pastry chef at the Ritz Paris, is opening a street-facing shop to make his sweet treats available to a wider audience. The star Perret of the Netflix series “The Chef in a Truck,” is bringing his sweet treats to a wider audience with the opening of a street-facing pastry shop at the Ritz hotel in Paris next month.

Wearing a white chef’s jacket and a surgical face mask, as he surveyed construction work at Ritz Paris Le Comptoir, the gourmet boutique with a white-and-peach interior that is due to open its doors on June 7 at 38 Rue Cambon, a stone’s throw from the historic Chanel flagship. Continue reading →

CHINESE SOON MASTER OF THE LUXE

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Fosun Fashion Group, the Chinese owner of Lanvin, Wolford, St. John and Caruso, has formed a strategic alliance with e-commerce firm Baozun, Activation Group and other industry players to strengthen its ability to capture China’s fast-growing demand for luxury brands.

As a part of the partnership, Baozun and Activation will both become minority shareholders in Fosun Fashion Group, and the preferred partners for all brands in FFG’s portfolio, as well as in exploring new business models and solutions for brand expansion.

Fosun’s unprecedented alliance in China is also a sign of further consolidation in the luxury sector that ‘s been accelerated by the pandemic. Traditional competitors are now joining hands to protect their shared interests.

Last November, Farfetch inked a mega partnership deal with Alibaba and Compagnie Financière Richemont. Kering’s Pinault family is also putting funds into the new luxury retail venture that’s targeting China’s online luxury market. Continue reading →

PANDEMIC AFFECTS PUIG PROFITS IN 2020

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It was the first time in recent history that Puig closed a year with a loss. Due to lockdowns and social distancing, consumption of fragrance, makeup and fashion, but the Spanish family-owned beauty and fashion company expects its business to amp up, and aims for sales to double in three years and triple in five years.

In the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2020, the Barcelona-based group posted a net loss of 70 million euros, versus a gain of 226 million euros in 2019. Profit before tax came in at minus 72 million euros, against an increase of 304 million euros in the prior year.

There are two big changes in the industry the smartphone revolution and China,” the company’s portfolio has historically been heavily skewed toward fragrance, which is invisible, thus not seen in the ubiquitous online selfie culture, and has grown less quickly than the skin care and makeup categories.

BUILGARI NEW FRAGRANCES

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The Allegra collection of five fragrances comes with Magnifying essences enabling customers to personalize their perfumes. Bulgari Taps Into the Customization Trend With New Fragrances

Long gone are the days when Bulgari hosted lavish parties across Italian dreamy destinations and venues. The company’s physical events might be a victim of the pandemic, but the Roman jewelry house instilled its passion for conveying the multiple facets of the Italian lifestyle in its new collection of fragrances, called Allegra or joyous in English.

Allegra can resonate with many types of customers, as it was designed to evoke Italian experiences and emotions via different olfactory families, ranging from floral-oriental scents that for Gonzalez Sebastiani could appeal to European and Middle Eastern clients, to citrusy fragrances that could work best for the Chinese and American clientele. Continue reading →

FASHION MERCATO 2021

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Designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista who brought a sophisticated and artistic touch to Kenzo over a two-year stint is to step down from his role of artistic director, and his exit from the Paris-based fashion house, will take effect on June 30 when his employment contract will arrive at its term.

Sylvie Colin, chief executive officer of Kenzo, expressed her gratitude to the designer “for his talent, creativity and contribution to the artistic development of our house.”

It is understood a successor will be named in due course, and that the brand is likely to pursue a new direction.

Oliveira Baptista was partial to enveloping, nomadic silhouettes, and had returned the brand to the women’s calendar of Paris Fashion Week. His tenure coincided with the death last October of founder Kenzo Takada, due to complications from COVID-19, and he let color, pattern and energy erupt on the runway for fall 2021 as an ode to the Japanese fashion maverick. Continue reading →

ALBER ELBAZ DIES AT 59

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His death, due to COVID-19, was confirmed by Compagnie Financière Richemont, his joint venture partner in AZ Factory, his latest fashion venture.

Alber had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industry's brightest and most beloved figures. I was always taken by his intelligence, sensitivity, generosity and unbridled creativity," Rupert said. "He was a man of exceptional warmth and talent, and his singular vision, sense of beauty and empathy leave an indelible impression. Continue reading →

HERMES WHAT ESLE

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The figures add to evidence the luxury sector is on the upswing, Hermès reported that first-quarter revenue jumped 44 percent, at constant rates, beating expectations and fueling optimism for leaders in the sector.

This is a confirmation of a buoyant luxury goods demand environment worldwide, following recent reports from luxury peers LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Kering, as well as an uptick in exports of Swiss watches in March.

Asia was feeling the full brunt of the coronavirus crisis this season last year. But even as the second and third quarters bring tougher comparisons in Asia, they will become less challenging in Europe and the Americas where business declined at a later stage last year. Continue reading →

MY FAVORITE DESIGNER

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Brunello Cucinelli has long spoken of his admiration for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who he has hosted on several occasions to talk about humanity and the future. But who does he admire among his fellow designers?

My favorite designers,  Ralph Lauren , Giorgio Armani and Yohji Yamamoto.

Ralph Lauren tops the list, "a great master, who has created a visual merchandising unique in the world, Cucinelli said of the American designer, whom he met in 2019. He has always been a true, great inspiration for me,Cucinelli said.

Cucinelli described Giorgio Armani as "a genius," and also pointed to Yohji Yamamoto and "his shapes that are the most fascinating that I have ever known," and Chanel.

"You create style through ready-to-wear," continued Cucinelli, whose business mainly relies on apparel, "and I have been inspired by the big names that have a recognizable taste that lasts in time. [King] Edward VIII believed in a certain pleasure in dressing well, and his taste is still recognizable after so many years. Continue reading →

LVMH, RICHEMONT AND PRADA JOIN FORCES

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Three European rivals are joining forces in an unprecedented collaboration to help consumers trace the provenance and authenticity of luxury goods. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which in 2019 initiated the Aura platform, will be joined by Prada Group and Compagnie Financière Richemont in the Aura Blockchain Consortium, which will promote the use of a single blockchain solution open to all luxury brands worldwide.

Bulgari, Cartier, Hublot, Louis Vuitton and Prada are already keyed into the platform, which will give consumers direct access to a product’s history, proof of ownership, warranty and maintenance record.

According to a joint release revealing the creation of the consortium, it is in advanced discussions with several independent brands, and "brands within founder groups; to join soon since the blockchain offers flexibility to support companies of various sizes and to adapt to individual needs. Continue reading →

KANAE PASSED AWAY

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Kanae Taniwaki is entering the Pantheon of Haute Couture. This man, so discreet, came to France under the impulse of Jacques Mouclier with Kenzo, Issey Miyake, Yijo Yamamoto. He was the eminence grise of Loris Azzaro and was also the best Premier d’Atelier at Franck Sorbier.

Here is the last of the Samurai of Haute Couture who passes away. He knew all the stitches and techniques, and he was a master in the art of converting a fabric into a straight thread for a full bias garment. Like an open book on the past and on the future, he was at the same time breathing humanity. Professor at Esmod International de Haute Couture, the students he had, including my daughter, speak of him with affection and emotion.

When a loved one has just passed away, one feels the loss darkly, but the present death is disconcerting and the stupefaction closes the soul and the mouth. Incredulously at this grief, one looks at the bottom of the grave, without understanding anything, this coffin which is going to vanish under the surface of a world which was for him so poetic. It is to the first sight of his family that the fashion around his last podium will say goodbye. Continue reading →

SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF VISUAL ARTS

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Founded in September, 2005, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts is a university offering undergraduate programs distinctive for art nature. Mainly invested by state-owned enterprises,it is also sponsored by other social capital. It was affiliated to Fudan University in its initial stage. After eight years of development, it because independent of Fudan University in April, 2013 with the ratification of the Ministry of Education. Continue reading →

ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES

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Alibaba, China’s biggest e-commerce operator, was fined $2.78 billion, by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation for monopolistic behaviors, China's state media said Saturday morning, and has been ordered to stop its illegal conduct.

The penalty was calculated by deducting 4 percent of the group’s 2019 revenues, which totaled 455.712 billion renminbi. It is one of the largest penalties Chinese regulators have ever issued, exceeding the $975 million antitrust penalty that the Chinese government imposed on American chipmaker Qualcomm in 2015.

In years past, JD.com, a rival of Alibaba, complained of anticompetitive behavior and said brands had been pressured off of their platform by the larger firm. The firm also addressed the larger and growing trend of scrutiny around China’s tech companies. Continue reading →

THE MOBILE CELLULAR SNEAKER

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The T-mobile company in collaboration with “dans quelle monde Vuitton!” proposes this year the ultimate musical accessory: the Mobile Phone Sneakers, in other words, speaker sneakers, which produce a high quality sound, and which can be activated by voice so that you do not have to bend down. They are charged by kinetic energy, i.e. by your movements, and have a battery life of 15 hours. “Inspired by the past but with a vision in the future” for the firm of the Lord of the Arnault. Continue reading →

TIME IS MONEY

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LVMH set the pace for the luxury watch industry on Monday, kicking off the year’s events with a week of presentations from its watch labels Bulgari, Hublot and Zenith.

This is the second time LVMH labels are holding a watch week together. At the same time last year, the luxury group took to the Bulgari Resort in Dubai to test out the new presentation format after other traditional watch fairs had been pushed until later in the year.

The group prefers setting the agenda at the start of the year, and before 2020 had been known to hold events in Geneva in January, tapping into the traffic flows to the former SIHH fair, which was dominated by rival brands belonging to Compagnie Financière Richemont.

But everything has been changed by the coronavirus crisis, which upended traditional watch fairs finishing off struggling Baselworld altogether and sending labels on the search for new, effective ways of reaching their clients. New models from Bulgari included the tightly wound Serpenti Spiga and the flashy Octo Finissimo. Continue reading →

SALVATOR FERRAGAMO

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic hurt Salvatore Ferragamo’s bottom line and revenues in 2020, but the Florence-based company is seeing improvements, reporting a positive performance of the brand's stores in the first nine weeks of 2021, topped by solid growth in China and Korea and an 85.6 percent gain in the digital channel.

Despite the measures taken to contain costs and the effects of the lockdowns around the world, Ferragamo posted a net loss of 72 million euros in 2020, compared with a profit of 87 million euros in the previous year. Perhaps the emperor of luxury will be interested in this acquisition.

In the 12 months ended Dec. 31, revenues fell 33.5 percent to 916 million euros, compared with 1.37 billion euros in 2020. Ferragamo reported a progressive improvement in the second half.

In 2020, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization tumbled 52.6 percent to 159 million euros, compared with 336 million euros a year earlier.

A FERRARI AT LOUBOUTIN

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Exor, an Agnelli family holding, is to invest 541 million euros in Christian Louboutin to become a 24 percent shareholder in the Paris-based maker of red-soled shoes.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter, and suggests the Agnelli family, owners of Ferrari, have a growing appetite for fashion.

In December, Exor said it would invest around 80 million euros in Chinese luxury brand Shang Xia and become the company’s majority shareholder alongside Hermès International and founder Jiang Qiong Er.

Exor is also a shareholder in The Economist Group, PartnerRe, Stellantis, CNH Industrial, GEDI Gruppo Editoriale and Juventus FC. Continue reading →

TILMANN WANDERER OF THE STARS

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I seek the essential, because I want to live next to human people who do not swell with triumphs, and who do not feel elected before their time. Today we will talk about a creator from across the Rhine. That’s good, we were missing a famous German on the calendar! And this one comes from the schools of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, his name is Tilmann Grawe. From Louis Féraud Haute Couture to Paco Rabanne, he launched his first collection in March 2000.

The collections of Tilmann Grawe are thus, they cover with jewels also the head of women admirably, and show this madness of the years of the same name. Hair jewelry from the 1920s for the wonder of Scott Fitzgerald’s Gatsby, neither fire nor ice can reach the intensity of these creations that come directly from his heart.

The human race, as a whole, chooses to address you. Driven by an irresistible prejudice, favorable to you, and this only by the magic of your creations, you become the wanderer of the stars, and the eyes of the women gathered in a cenacle of sweetness and honey look at your work through the eye of the ineffable and exhilarating glamour of the past. Continue reading →

GAZZAZ THE PRINCE OF PERFUMERY

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Death of Saudi perfume magnate Hussein Bakry Gazzaz at the age of 95. I dreamed of bringing to my beloved country what I saw in Cairo in the 1920s,” Gazzaz said in an interview in 2014.

Hussein Bakry Gazzaz & Co (Gazzaz) was founded in 1942, when Mr. Gazzaz became the first fragrance importer in Saudi Arabia. “The quaint streets and stores of Cairo left a mark in the spirit of the ‘little boy from Mecca’ that I was”. Born in 1925, Hussein Bakry Gazzaz was one of the most famous businessmen in the perfume industry in Saudi Arabia.

While he was still young, his family moved to Egypt where he attended school. When he returned to Saudi Arabia, he founded the small perfume company that would become one of the largest of its kind in the region. Continue reading →