AND THE WINNER IS…

We all saw them coming at the British Fashion Awards 2019. Lee’s ability to generate hype is remarkable,

Bottega Veneta was the big winner. Daniel Lee stated: “My job is to really make Bottega Veneta part of the fashion conversation, but this is a true heritage house, and that is something that moves a lot slower and in a very different way to something that’s ‘fashion’, “Trying to change this house into a fashion brand is a huge task.”

Change was a theme also reflected in the winner of the Urban Luxe category: Fenty, Rihanna’s namesake label launched last May and it represents the first major brand LVMH has founded from scratch.The collection is diverse, size inclusive and price conscious in a competitive market. “I really appreciate that LVMH is flexible enough to allow me to have a different perspective on how I want to [do] things,” she said of her financial backer.

Model of the Year Adut Akech has been a trailblazer from day one, calling out racism that still slips through the cracks, and converting her personal success story into a parable for refugees. I want to be known as someone who made a positive impact,” she told Vogue in the September Forces for Change issue, which she fronted with 14 other inspirational women. “It’s an honour to be used as an example of what diversity looks like [but] I want to be more involved with charities that are changing people’s lives.”

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BIAGIOTTI AND BALMAIN LOGO

LB Monogram. Designed by Laura Biagiotti in 1975 was reproduced in a maxi and mini version on sneakers, on combat boot and boots. Shoe laces and embroideries become shoe buckles. Both logo Balmain and Biagiotti are very confusing but money solves every problem and especially with the Quatari. Rousteing will then carry on copying every brands and everything and the Quatari will pay for it till they will be fed up and will change of designer.  Continue reading

BALMAIN CEO RESIGNATION

Massimo Piombini, who joined Balmain in April 2017 and piloted the brand through an expansion phase, is leaving the firm. Balmain confirmed that Piombini is leaving for personal reasons, and added that a new chief executive officer would join the company in February.

"Under his leadership the company has experienced a significant growth and organizational evolution, setting a solid basis for further growth of the brand in the next years, Balmain said in a statement. The house wishes him well on his future endeavors."

It is understood that turnover at the Paris-based house almost doubled over the past three years. During Piombini’s tenure, Balmain opened boutiques in Paris, Hong Kong, Moscow, São Paolo and Miami, and it signed a lease for a New York flagship, which is slated to open in the first half of 2020. Continue reading

ULTRA HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS

Despite a recent contraction in fine art sales and fluctuations in jets and yachts, demand for luxury continues to grow. The global luxury market is expected to reach 1.26 trillion euros in 2019, up 8 percent compared with the previous year, or 4 percent at constant exchange rates. Expectations of 3 to 5 percent annual growth at constant exchange rates through to 2025 for personal luxury goods, with sales reaching between 335 and 375 billion euros.

In 2019, China is showing a 30 percent growth, confirming Chinese customers & purchases redirected locally, followed by the rest of Asia and Japan. Impacted by social unrest, Hong Kong is declining by around 2 billion euros compared with 2018. The Chinese are leading 90 percent of growth in 2019.

The Millennials (the Y generation) and the Z generation contributed to 100 percent of the market growth in 2019. Gen Y is expected to reach 50 percent of market value in 2035. And it is in China and in South East Asia that they show they are most dynamic and attracted by the personal luxury goods. Continue reading

GIVAUDAN ACQUIRE INDENA

Swiss fragrance and flavors supplier Givaudan said Tuesday it has reached an agreement to acquire the cosmetics business of Italian company Indena.

Headquartered in Milan, Indena is specialized in the identification, development and production of high-quality active ingredients derived from plants, to be used in the pharmaceutical, health food and personal-care industries. Backed up by almost a century of botanical experience, the company counts four manufacturing locations employing around 800 people, sales activities in more than 80 countries and holds more than 100 primary patents.

According to Maurizio Volpi, president of Givaudan’s fragrance division, this operation will be strategic for the company as Indena has “an excellent reputation in the market, thanks to the quality of their ingredients, their strong focus on innovation as well as the mastering of their supply chain. Continue reading

DROUANT HAS REOPENED

Opened in 1880, Parisian restaurant Drouant is open. The historical 1,475-square-foot establishment, which sits just next to the Opera Garnier in the second arrondissement of Paris, needed to be finished in time for the Goncourt Prize, a prestigious French literary ceremony that has been held in a private salon on the upper level of the restaurant every year since 1914.

The race was completed on time. On Nov. 4, author Jean-Paul Dubois was honored in a freshly redecorated Goncourt salon, following the footsteps of previous laureates Marcel Proust, Simone de Beauvoir and Leïla Slimani, who won the prize in 2016 for her haunting novel “Lullaby.” The restaurant, helmed by chef Emile Cotte, officially reopened to the public on Nov. 12. Continue reading

WHAT AN INFLUENCER ACTUALLY

As the fashion sector struggles to define what an influencer actually is, organisations like the Federal Trade Commission in the United States are cracking down on false influencer advertising. In other words, if an influencer has been paid to wear a brand’s clothing, they will now be obliged to say so.

On Wednesday, Carlo Capasa, the head of Italy’s fashion chamber, said the time has come for “influencers” to specify whether or not their clothes have been borrowed or gifted to them in exchange for monetary retribution.

According to a Eurostat survey from 2017, the uses of hashtags and promotion of brands through influencers on social media has significantly increased since 2013.

Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana published a report last week entitled “Influencer Guidelines and Interpretive Rules for Influencers.” Continue reading

MCM INTERPARFUMS

MCM will soon have a new fragrance, thanks to a licensing deal with InterParfums Inc. InterParfums has signed a 10-year worldwide licensing agreement with Jean Madar, chairman and chief executive officer of InterParfums, revealed plans to reinvent the fragrance category via the MCM partnership, the first launch of which is slated to be in stores in 2021.

We think that MCM the positioning, their territory does not compete with anything we have in our portfolio. We have brands that are in the luxury segment, but new school luxury, it’s more of an attitude.

Sung-Joo Kim, founder, chairman and chief visionary officer of the Sungjoo Group and MCM Holdings AG, purchased the German accessories brand in 2005, becoming the first Korean to buy a heritage European luxury brand.

IN THE MOOD FOR YVES

Saint Laurent will launch the fifth edition of its ongoing Self project here this week, this time inviting Hong Kong’s best-known film director Wong Kar Wai and the acclaimed photographer Wing Shya to co-create a film.

The series, launched a year ago, sees Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello work with various creative figures to capture different aspects of the Saint Laurent personality through art and social commentary. Previous projects have partnered with Daido Moriyama, Vanessa Beecroft, Bret Easton Ellis, and Gaspar Noé. Continue reading

TAG WE ARE WATCH IN YOU

Tag Heuer has opened its first store in Canada, at the Yorkdale shopping mall in Toronto. Tag Heuer is investing in retail more than ever to ensure we are engaging with our customers through exceptional service and a rich brand experience.

Like many of its Swiss watchmaking peers, the label is focusing on bulking up its own network of stores, a strategy for gaining tighter control over customer relations and distribution channels, at a time when the industry is challenged by competition from the Apple watch.

The LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned label has nine stores in the U.S., including in New York, two in Texas, two in Florida and one in Las Vegas. LVMH’s watch division has had changes in leadership over the past year, now headed by Stéphane Bianchi, who succeeded industry veteran Jean-Claude Biver. Continue reading

VUITTON J’ADORO VENICE

With floodwaters reaching their highest level in 50 years, the Italian government has declared a state of emergency in the city, where the iconic Piazza San Marco has been closed to the public and its Basilica seriously damaged.

On Thursday, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the government will set up emergency measures, including the allocation of 20 million euros for the most urgent repairs.

Since Tuesday, dramatic images have been circulating on global media showing how water has seriously damaged not only boutiques  including the Celine store, which was submerged but also iconic destinations such as The Gritti Palace hotel.

Reached by phone on Friday, Edoardo Caovilla, creative director and chief executive officer of Venetian footwear label René Caovilla, described the situation in the city as dramatic.

“Being from Venice, we are particularly in pain for what is happening,” he said. “Venice must be considered a museum like the Uffizi in Florence and needs to be managed that way.” Continue reading

KERING EXPLORERS MEDIA BUSINESS

Kering chairman and chief executive officer François-Henri Pinault is showing a growing interest in media.The luxury company invested an undisclosed amount in The Explorers, a global media platform focusing on environmental issues through an app and web site.

Launched on Nov. 7 by French television presenter Olivier Chiabodo and producer Jean-Pierre Morel, The Explorers broadcasts short films relaying the state of the planet worldwide, offered for free in 17 languages on mobile devices and desktop computers.

It also has a premium subscription service offering over a dozen documentaries through streaming platforms in 170 countries. New content will be added starting next year. Kering said it “aims to play its part in raising awareness worldwide about the need to safeguard biodiversity.” Continue reading

DIOR AND LINDBERG SINPHONIA

A crazy project, one that Peter Lindbergh was able to realise last year with the help of the French luxury label. Dior’s most iconic creations photographed in black and white in the streets of present-day New York: the images are as beautiful as they are surreal, breathing life into superb models from the past that we would ordinarily only see immortalised in museums. Continue reading

INSTAGRAM MASTER OF MARKETING

Rihanna has been at the leading edge of promoting women with a variety of skin tones, her brand is far from the only one to be inclusive in terms of body size, an issue heavily promoted by brands like American Eagle Outfitters among others.

Even so, Rihanna is getting much of the credit for revolutionizing the intimates industry one that is still dominated by Victoria’s Secret. According to market research firm Euromonitor International, in 2018, Victoria’s Secret was the market share leader in the women’s intimates apparel category, both the U.S. and internationally, with 24 percent and 4 percent of the market, respectively. That same year, Victoria’s Secret sold $7.4 billion worth of bras and underwear.

All of which begs the question: Just what is Rihanna’s brand offering that isn’t already out there?  The answer might simply be just a little bit more of Rihanna.

The core strength of Savage x Fenty is very much Rihanna,the products themselves are similar to products that other brands carry. Savage x Fenty offers bras in cup sizes from A through H. But so do a number of other brands. Continue reading

A THEFT WITH A BAD TASTE

Hermès luxury brand bags were stolen from manufacturing workshops in the Bordeaux suburbs for a damage of several hundred thousand euros, the gendarmerie said Friday.

The damage is being estimated by Hermès”, this source indicated, confirming information from South West France.

The burglars broke in during the night from Thursday to Friday by making a hole in a wall of the luxury group’s temporary manufacturing workshops in Ambarès-et-Lagrave, according to the gendarmerie.

The safety system at this manufacturing site was not as advanced as in the future saddler-manufacturer’s factory, which should open in 2020 in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, north of Bordeaux. Continue reading

JACQUEMUS LONDON FASHION AWARDS

It is not yet 30 years since he has already marked with his name the very select world of fashion designers. Simon Porte Jacquemus is the designer who never stops climbing and whose celebrities are mad of his clothes and accessories. But his talent is also and above all recognized by his peers. The proof is in the fact that he is nominated for two awards at the upcoming London Fashion Awards. The prestigious event will be held on Monday, December 2 at the Royal Albert Hall.

Every year since 1984, the jury of the British Council, the international British agency responsible for educational exchanges and cultural relations, has met to reward the houses, designers and models who have distinguished themselves over the past twelve months. For this 2019 edition, French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus is part of the selection. He was nominated in two categories: Brand of the Year (alongside Gucci and Prada, among others) and Accessories Designer of the Year. Continue reading

HERETIC LAUNCHES DIRTY VIOLET

The drag artist and burlesque performer is the latest muse to partner with Heretic, a genderless fragrance brand whose scents are made with naturally derived ingredients and do not contain synthetics. Heretic previously unveiled a scent with burlesque star Dita Von Teese. Called Scandalwood, the scent also came in the form of a striptease candle that showed Von Teese in various states of undress.

Today, Heretic launches Dirty Violet, an eau de parfum with notes of, fittingly, violet leaf, jasmine sambac, patchouli, cedarwood and labdanum. The composition, said Chachki, makes for a genderless scent that embodies what she typically gravitates toward.

Chachki’s Heretic campaign shoot was inspired by John Willie, the pseudonym of John Alexander Scott Coutts, a subversive illustrator from the Thirties. Coutts was also the publisher of Bizarre, an underground magazine centering around BDSM and fetish. Continue reading

THE 200 BILLION DOLLARS MAN

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s market capitalization shot past the 200 billion euro mark Monday, closing at 397.50 euros per share. The market capitalization of French rivals Hermès International and Kering, meanwhile, stood at 68.85 billion euros and 65.56 billion euros, respectively. Swiss-based Compagnie Financière Richemont trailed behind its French competitors, with a market capitalization of 41.52 billion Swiss francs, or 37.77 billion euros.

Recently, investors seem to have shrugged off disruption to the LVMH’s business in Hong Kong an important market for high-end goods over the third quarter. Looking to grow further, the group has offered $14.5 billion for Tiffany & Co. The outcome of the bid remains uncertain, however, even if no counter offers have emerged. Continue reading

IT’S MAKES SCENTS

The lors opened for Celine a store in Paris dedicated to its new line of niche perfumes, and the space is as art-centric as its clothing boutiques.

Works by Luisa Gardini, Rochelle Goldberg, Camilla Reyman and Søren Sejr are dotted throughout the store located at 390 Rue Saint-Honoré, whose design mirrors the Art Deco influences in the perfume bottles designed by Celine’s creative director Hedi Slimane. Continue reading

QUEEN FASHION HALLOWEEN

In the 20 years that Heidi Klum has hosted her annual Halloween party, the infamous “queen of Halloween” has always kept spectators guessing what outlandish costume she’s going to wear.

This year, Klum gave fans a peak at her Halloween transformation, camping out at the 34th Street Amazon Books store’s windowfront all day Thursday where spectators witnessed the hours of makeup and prosthetics applications that transformed the German model into what she later explained as a bionic alien.

Klum’s grand entrance began at precisely 11:23 p.m., where she arrived at the new Cathédrale Restaurant in East Village with husband Tom Kaulitz in a hazmat truck. On the red carpet, she hissed and clawed at cameras, showing off her costume’s organ-like prosthetics, stitching and wires. Continue reading

DESIGNER MACCARI STEPS DOWN

The Michael Maccari era at Perry Ellis has come to an end. In a surprise announcement Tuesday morning, the company said Maccari, who had headed the creative efforts of the brand since 2013, has resigned to “pursue other opportunities.”

Oscar Feldenkreis, chief executive officer of the Miami-based company, said Maccari is “a great guy and did a lot of great things for the brand. He was instrumental in getting Perry to where we are today. We wish him the best of luck.”

Maccari, who was fashion director and senior vice president of design for Armani Exchange, also worked at Polo Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan New York before joining Perry Ellis. He is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology. He could not be reached for comment on his future plans. Continue reading