CHANEL NEGATIVE RESULT
Unlike its main competitors, LVMH and Kering, which last year both posted record growth, in 2016 Chanel suffered a fall in sales and profits. After years of steady growth, Chanel indeed continues to slow down. As in 2015, last year the French fashion label, led since 1983 by Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld, saw its net income plummet by 34.8%, down to $874 million (€736 million), while its revenue lost 9%, reaching $5.67 billion (€4.77 billion).
According to the group, the downturn is chiefly explained by the sale of its Chanel Limited UK subsidiary, which accounts for approximately 11% of sales, to another Chanel-owned corporation. “On a like-for-like basis and at constant exchange rates, the results were on par with 2015,” wrote the group in its yearly report, noting also how, among other reasons, in the first part of the year Chanel was affected by the terrorist attacks in Europe, which “had a negative impact on tourist flows and consequently sales.” Continue reading
CHRISTIAN DIOR COUTURIER DE RÊVE
FIRST COVER FOR FIRST LADY
In Austria, Brigitte Macron showed once again that she is unafraid to experiment with fashion. Walking through Salzburg with Eveline Steinberger-Kern, wife of the Austrian president, Macron debuted a new red dress by Louis Vuitton, her go-to design house.
Emmanuel Macron was sworn in as France’s youngest ever President at the age of 39 in May, and credits his wife- and former teacher- Brigitte Trogneux (who has taken on his surname since they became France’s first couple) as one of his closest advisors.
Now the 64 year-old has become France’s “First Lady” (although there will be no official title for her) since Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife Carla left the Elysee Palace in 2012 – and she’s showcasing a wardrobe which proves she’s making the role her own. Continue reading
VANS AND KARL COOPERATION
Vans and Karl Lagerfeld have just signed a cooperation to design a footwear and apparel capsule set to be launched worldwide on September 7.
The two brands have fused their respective universes, the Vans’ hallmark checkerboard pattern is revisited using a cameo motif depicting Lagerfeld’s iconic profile.
There will be six interpretations of Vans footwear classics include the Sk8-Hi laceless platform and Old Skool laceless (old school, Karl knows well about it) styles outfitted in leather with the quilted letter-shaped detail atop white platform soles, and a solid black leather Classic Slip-On — also with the quilted letter K. Continue reading
HAMESBRANDS AND CURVY WOMEN
Hamesbrands love curvy women and after a year-long of research, the brand has developed new bras, panties and shapewear to meet their clients requirements.
“Curvy” is the new term, and the most preferred one for women of all age being overweight.
Maidenform brand is introducing Maidenform Curvy shapewear, and the iconic full-figure Playtex brand is introducing the Playtex Love My Curves line of bras and, for the first time, matching panties.
The shapewear, which is offered in new 1X to 4X sizes, fits women that wear US dress sizes 16 to 30 and can be found at major department stores and online starting at $44. Continue reading
FENDI HAUTE FOURRURE PARIS
LVMH LAND PARIS
The luxury goods giant and a leisure industry partner want the historic Jardin d’Acclimatation to join the ranks of France’s top three amusement parks.Louis Vuitton and ski resort operator hope to propel a 150-year-old Parisian leisure park to the future with a 60 million-euro rejuvenation. Located in the French capital’s western greenbelt, the Bois de Boulogne, the park will stay open during the works, LVMH said in a statement Friday. With the help of a team of architects and landscape planners, the pair plans to build an ecological promenade, restructure the park’s digital offering with a new web site, rebuild the mini farm and the install 17 new carousels in a steam punk-inspired ambiance.LVMH plays an active role in urban renewal projects in its home city and has operated the park since 1984. Continue reading
LVMH MASTER OF THE WORLD
LVMH powered ahead in the second quarter thanks to “outstanding momentum” at its cash-cow Louis Vuitton brand, but reiterated its cautious outlook for the second half as it starts to face tougher comparatives, particularly in Asia.
The parent of brands including Fendi, Sephora, Bulgari and Hennessy said revenues, including for the first-time German luggage maker Rimowa, rose 15 percent year-over-year to 9.83 billion euros in the three months to June 30.
Organic growth was 12 percent, above a market consensus forecast of 10 percent growth. The group said it benefited from a favorable comparison base in Asia as well as France, where activity last year was affected by the impact of terrorist attacks, adding that current trends could not be extrapolated for the full year. Continue reading
CÉLINE IN TUSCANY
Several days after announcing the launch of a leather goods training course in partnership with Polimoda, the luxury giant has returned to Tuscany, a region known for its expertise in leather, to unveil a new atelier dedicated to its brand Céline, which will see the light of day in 2019.
The brand, created in 1945 by Céline Vipiana and now helmed by creative director Phoebe Philo, will double the number of its production entities in the Italian region with this latest venture.
With an atelier already opened in Greve, near Florence, the Maison has inked a partnership with the Tuscan to install a new centre in Radda, in the province of Siena. The agreement, which lasts for five years, proposes training on site, as well as research and development. The goal is to develop an industry 4.0 model, over some 2,000 square metres of space dedicated to production, according to local press. Continue reading
RALPH LAUREN WOMEN PERFUME
After having played a major role in the men’s fragrance planet, Ralph Lauren has chosen the american actress Jessica Chastain to represent the new Ralph Lauren’s fragrance of eau de parfum “Woman”.Woman is the first women’s franchise the brand has launched in nearly a decade. Continue reading
VUITTON NET OF THRONES
Last week, Louis Vuitton joined the online market likes of Burberry, Gucci and Michael Kors still dominated by local China giants such as Tmall and JD.com.
“This was expected and somewhat overdue — clearly a good sign that the European megabrands are finally entering the Chinese luxury digital market,” said Luca Solca, head of luxury goods at Exane BNP Paribas.
Rogerio Fujimori, analyst at RBC Capital Markets, agreed it was a logical move, since Chinese consumers are increasingly making luxury purchases at home, taking advantage of narrowing price differentials and Chinese government initiatives to streamline customs procedures for e-commerce.
“There is a structural trend toward repatriation in general, and within China, like in any other market, there is a shift to omnichannel, a shift to mobile,” he said. “You have the Millennial segment that is more digital-influenced, that will grow older and they’ll carry on those habits, so I think they’re adapting.” Continue reading
TALENTS QUIT FASHION HOUSES
Famous designers are treated like European Premier League football managers: No matter how talented you are. Fashion Industry observers and those who work with designers say it is a sign of these digitally driven times, where the pressure is on to deliver multiple capsule collections and substantial sales growth season after season, to maintain the buzz around a brand and to keep shareholders happy.
Others believe many of those famous talented designers have been too far. They have big ego, ask for outsized salaries, require too much creative control for the brands. Therefore it’s no surprise that some big names have been replaced by younger, hipper and less expensive talents who don’t necessarily feel the need to control every aspect of a brand’s identity. Continue reading
GEORGES CHAKRA COUTURE
NO ARM BANDIT FOR LINKS
Links of London is opening its fifth U.S. boutique at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Links is offering an interactive experience both in the stores and online because “personalization and storytelling are at the core of the Links of London DNA” said Leela Petrakis, president of FF Group North America, the company that owns the brand.
The store will feature displays that incorporate elements unique like the Sweetie collection — bracelet and whimsical charms — that will be showcased in a display reimagined to look like a roulette table. You will also find an Engraving and Customization Bar which will allow customers to custom design their charm bracelets. Other services at the store include in-house engraving, restringing and polishing. Continue reading
THE FRANCO-ITALIAN LVMH CONNECTION
Louis Vuitton is extending its vocational training model to Italy through a partnership between the Institut des Métiers d’Excellence (IME) and the Italian fashion and design school Polimoda, aimed at training leather-goods artisans.
Founded in 2014, the IME program is involved in schooling more than 200 young people in areas including jewelry, dressmaking, winemaking, leather goods, culinary arts, watches, luxury retail and design together with partner institutions in France and Switzerland.
They include BJO Formation in Paris for jewelry, the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne for fashion and the Ferrandi Paris school for gastronomy. Polimoda becomes the first Italian school to join the initiative, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. Continue reading
GEORGES KERN QUITS RICHEMONT
The recent management shake-ups at Richemont Group just took an unexpected turn. The luxury conglomerate, which owns brands the likes of Cartier, IWC and Vacheron Constantin, announced earlier today that its head of watchmaking, marketing and digital, Georges Kern, has resigned, effective immediately.
Kern, who has been with the Swiss luxury group for 17 years, only assumed this latest role less than four months ago.
He has also stepped down from the Senior Executive Committee and the Group Management Committee, and will no longer be standing for election to the Board of Directors of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA at the forthcoming annual general meeting of shareholders. Continue reading
STEPHANE ROLLAND COUTURE PARIS
LAPIDUS AND LANVIN
Olivier Lapidus from latin ‘lapideus’, meaning ‘made of stone, 59 years old, is a french designer quite known in France but almost unknown in the world has been appointed on Monday as the new artistic director of Lanvin.
He is expected to present his first Lanvin collection in September for the spring 2018 women’s ready-to-wear season,.
The company, founded by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889, has been majority owned since 2001 by Taiwan-based media magnate Shaw-Lan Wang. It has seen sales erode for several years which has been leading to financial difficulties.
Besides the minority shareholder Ralph Bartel and investment banker Pierre Mallevays of Savigny Partners, both board members, have submitted letters of resignation to disassociate themselves from Wang’s decisions and governance as Wang did not go through a proper process using professional advice from a talent search firm. Continue reading
ALEXIS MABILLE COUTURE PARIS
LANVIN FIRED BOUCHRA JARRAR
Shaw-Lan Wang, the owner of the brand Lanvin which is in great financial difficulties has just decided to fire the actual artistic director Bouchra Jarrar after having fired the renowned designer Alber Elbaz
Bouchra Jarrar was very weakened by the lack of success of his collections. His departure had been acquired for a while already, “said the Reuter’s source.
The stylist was only appointed 15 months ago at the head of the artistic direction of the women’s fashion label. There will be no collection for the upcoming spring-summer season (scheduled for late September), said the source.
Taken in the turmoil since the departure of its former artistic director Alber Elbaz, Lanvin saw its sales fall by 23% in 2016, to 162 million euros, and recorded a net loss of 18.3 million, after a profit of 6.3 million in 2015. The trend was further aggravated in early 2017, with sales falling 32% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2016,
CHANEL EFFECT TOWER
Stunning, the power of Wertheimer group who moved the Eiffel Tower under the dome of the Grand Palais. Lord Hamburger had even ordered clouds at the ceiling for this occasion, but he does not yet speak to God like the lord of the Arnaults. However, he has asked a German engineer, Herbert Von Wolke, to do this miracle.
Madame Gabrielle loved towers especially the Fernsehturm. Printed on our invitation, a painting by Delaunay that we had recognized and therefore we suspected that after the rocket we will have the most famous tower of the world.
In fact, the French house killed two birds with one stone: celebrating the emblematic founder of the house, and launching its new perfume named “Mademoiselle”. Then, we attended to the presentation of dresses in the shape of the perfume bottle. The Baroness of Cystitia Rheynale, told me that she had recognized in the first models the style of her friend, the great Chantal de Monteunez that she had not seen for a long time. Continue reading
DIOR 70 HAUTE COUTURE
Dior took place at Les Invalides, transformed for the occasion into a Garden of Eden located in the middle of Paris, place Vauban where the cohorts of limousines formed a fortress.
The Prince of Luxury surely spoke with God to ensure a sunny weather! The sky became blue with a few clouds from time to time to leave a slightly cool breeze caressing the bodies of women dressed for the occasion as if the air conditioning had been regulated by the nature. Dear Sir, you know that we enjoyed this tour de force, and we are aware that you like to speak to the Gods of Olympus to satisfy your audience.
Upon arriving, I came across the American actor Robert Pattinson, the couturier Alber Elbaz as well as a floor of people of TV reality series, Vicomtesses and Baronesses, who represented the society for the second collection Haute Couture of Maria Grazia Chiuri. Continue reading
RALPH AND RUSSO
Beauty, feminity, Ralph & Russo’s woman becomes the woman we love to look at, the woman we would like to love. I have always like designers who make the woman looks more feminine and who presents her as an object of desire that we want to possess. Thank to you both for this magic moment. Continue reading