Leonard Fall-Winter 2018-19 Paris Fashion Week. The Rite of Winter. As winter came, so did an unstoppable desire to flee the city and the drudgery of everyday life to rediscover nature. Destination: Iceland.
GOOD BUY AND GOOD LUCK
McCartney said her option to buy back Kering’s 50 percent stake in the brand had been in her contract from Day One. She said she couldn’t turn it down.
“It is an incredible blessing and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that’s not awarded to many fashion designers with their name on the door. I have four children, I have the opportunity to take control of the business that bears my name and that is extraordinarily exciting. To be afforded that chance as a designer, as a woman, as a mother of four, it’s something I had to take on; McCartney said.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening after the Paris and London stock markets closed, François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of Kering, said it was the right time for McCartney to move on.
“Kering is a luxury group that empowers creative minds and helps disruptive ideas become reality. I am extremely proud of what Kering and Stella McCartney have accomplished together since 2001,” he said, adding that McCartney and her team had brought far more than business to Kering. Continue reading
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
FACTORY FOR TOMORROW
Louis Vuitton, the premium brand of LVMH Moët Hennessy, whose super-agile vertical supply chain for luxury leather goods rivals that of fast-fashion.
Today one of the house’s bags can be produced and delivered to stores in as little as two weeks but the aim is to shorten it to a week, Valérie Dubois, Vuitton’s director of workshops, France, said during a visit of one of the house’s ateliers in Sainte-Florence in the Maine-et-Loire region on Tuesday.
A handful of journalists were also taken to see an empty field in nearby Beaulieu-sur-Layon on which a state-of-the-art workshop geared to facilitating agility and speed is set to open in early 2019. The structure will serve as a template for future sites, with a new workshop located nearer to Paris also in the works for next year. Continue reading
THE CENTAUR SEOUL 2018
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
HERMES COPYCASH DIOR
After having been taught how to do business, they now are learning how to create a brand museum business like LVMH.
In the vein of fashion as museum art, Hermès has conceived a series of touring “Hermès Heritage” exhibitions, the first of which is titled “Harnessing the Roots” and will touch down at the house’s Beverly Hills boutique on March 31. A specially built structure behind the Rodeo Drive flagship will house the multiroom show until April 7.
The exhibitions explore the history and heritage of the house, which was founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, through a series of objects that highlight iconic themes, colors and motifs from the brand’s origins as a harness-maker and saddler up to the present day. 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
CHANEL PARIS FALL-WINTER 2018-19
A forest has grown beneath the nave of the Grand Palais. Surrounded by blue sky warmed by a gentle sun, trees stripped bare by the season and a floor covered with autumn leaves compose an Indian summer, as Karl Lagerfeld says.
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
HUBERT DE GIVENCHY PASSED AWAY
Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy was a French fashion designer who founded The House of Givenchy in 1952. He was famous for having designed much of the personal and professional wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn and clothing for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.
With his perfect manners and old-school discipline, Givenchy had a distinguished presence that colored the fashion industry for over fifty years. A consummate collector with an perfect eye for objects as well as for interior decoration of houses, he leaves behind a fashion house that defined the very notions of refinement and elegance.
Under the ownership of luxury conglomerate LVMH since 1988, the house of Givenchy issued a statement paying homage to its founder, “a major personality of the world of French haute couture and a gentleman who symbolised Parisian chic and elegance for more than half a century.” Continue reading
DIOR ICI MODE
It could seem that one of the key achievement of Dior’s revolution would be a more unified brand with men’s and women’s, Christian Dior Couture and Perfume could be fully integrated under the creative director, Maria Chiuri or others.
Although Maria Grazia Chiuri has been going through criticism, sales ar growing since she joined in 2016. She has brought an activism-tinged, millennial-friendly approach to Dior. Top-selling products are the classic Lady Dior bag, but also new cult accessories designed by Chiuri, including her logo-ribboned slingback heels and metal logo bags.
However, Maria Chiuri remains in a string of name that have taken over since the abrupt departure of John Galliano, who first made Dior a mega-brand during his time as artistic director from 1996 to 2011. And Dior has not recovered its DNA Continue reading
DOLCE CABBANA WINTER 2018-19 MILAN
Dolce & Gabbana Fall Winter 2018-19 Milan. Dolce & Gabbana blow up minds ones again with new collection and the show. Extravaganza on the face of Mona Lisa made even Leonardo surprised. Yes, they are bringing everything we love from Italy : flowers, painters, religious symbols. Dolce & Gabbana isn’t a religion, but could become one. Continue reading
TOLENADO AT BECKHAM’S
Ralph Toledano has been named chairman of Victoria Beckham Ltd. Toledano has been appointed to closely work on the brand’s creative vision, and on the strategy for the next phase of growth.
Growth will come from further expansion, particularly in Asia. Toledano’s appointment follows the 30 million pounds investment from NEO Investment Partners in December. Beckham said Toledano brings “unrivaled industry experience to the company. Since I founded the company ten years ago, I have always looked to bring on board the best people to help me deliver my vision.”
In 2016 Toledano was re-elected president of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. He has held the post since 2014, when he succeeded Didier Grumbach who remains honorary president. The question is Continue reading
VUITTON IN THE LOUVRE
Vuitton in the Louvre make sence ! Nicolas Ghesquière attended at the Chloe show, next to Wintour ! Maybe Nicolas will leave to the Richmont group who knows ? For this collection Women were at the core of his fall display, which explored quintessentially French notions of elegance. The cropped jacket on a gray buttonless skirt suit was trimmed with spiky metal medallions and chains fine strands sprouting from its embroidered collar, or thick links decorating faux pockets.
Trouser suits and cocktail dresses were paired with graphic waist trainers, the corset-like belts made popular by Kim Kardashian, though their impact was diluted by attaching them to draped halter-neck tops that drooped lower over one breast. Continue reading
SACAI WINTER 2018 PARIS
HERMÈS PARIS 2018
Certainly, no one expected to be attending a show outdoors with an outside temperature at 6 degrees centigrade. Even if Hermès provided us with some ultra-soft riding blankets to bundle up against the cold, but by the time the catwalk started almost 50 minutes late as usual. In the artificial fog Hermès presents its lastest collection to Duchess and Ladies.
The setting was a transparent awning surrounded by trees bathed in Hermès-orange light a suitably dramatic backdrop for Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski’s opening sequence of sleek outfits in dark leather set off by glinting hardware.
The Hermès woman has a sporty side, too: A sheepskin aviator jacket, a quilted calfskin hoodie or a sweeping blanket coat suggested she was not afraid of hitting the great outdoors. In its great leniency, Canal-Luxe has found it not too bad. Continue reading
MANISH ARORA 2018 PARIS
RICCARDO TISCI AND BURBERRY
Tisci will replace Christopher Bailey, graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, will direct all Burberry collections and present his first for the brand in September. When Bailey stepped down in October, he said February was to be his last collection, with an in-house team likely working on the September outing.
Tisci will be based at Burberry’s headquarters in London. A women’s wear, men’s wear, leather goods and accessories designer, Tisci spent more than a decade at Givenchy.
While Tisci’s arrival at Burberry marks a new beginning, it also signals the end of a dramatic narrative for the designer: Rumors were circulating last year that Tisci was to join Versace, but the much talked-about deal never materialized. Continue reading
SAINT LAURENT PARIS
For the second season, Anthony Vaccarello showed his Saint Laurent collection across from the Eiffel Tower. As written on the invitation and follow-up email, the show started on time at precisely 8p.m. However Kering managed to delay the twinkles for 15 minutes. It was spectacular. Continue reading
