Valentino’s Final Show Receives 5-Minute Standing Ovation:
“Valentino managed not to cry as he took his final walk down the runway of a custom made white tent in the garden of the Rodin Museum. Not so his audience, which gave him a five-minute, tear-stained standing ovation after presenting his spring 2008 collection, bringing to a close a 45-year career.”
Super-Rich Spurn Mass Luxury, Choose Couture Instead:
“Le Figaro recently reported that sales were up 40 per cent at Lacroix and 30 per cent at Givenchy; since 2006, production at Chanel has apparently risen by 20 per cent . . . Armani’s audience (for his latest haute couture show) on Monday was up by 15 per cent from last season, flooded by new initiates from Russia and the Middle East . . . ‘The reality of ready-to-wear is the rapid turnover of ‘It’ items which are replaced as fast as they are consumed by still more easy-access, aspirational looks. Haute couture preserves a woman’s mystery,’ says Lady Amanda Harlech, one of Karl Lagerfeld’s collaborators.”
Balenciaga Designer Nicolas Ghesquière to Receive Award of Merit:
WWD is reporting that Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière is to receive an award of merit from the French government. On Tuesday, he will be decorated as a Chevalier of Arts and Letters by luxury titan François Pinault, owner of Balenciaga parent PPR, in a ceremony at Balenciaga headquarters in Paris.
Lagerfeld Ditches Heels for Flats in Chanel Haute Couture Show:
“What Karl Lagerfeld decrees has ramifications across the fashion world, and at Chanel’s beautiful haute couture show in Paris this morning, this most influential of designers ordained that flat shoes should be worn with everything — even evening dresses . . . The shoe in question — a slender-toed Mary Jane with a single strap — came in every permutation imaginable, from simple black patent to sparkly silver bouclé, each matched according to the model’s outfit.”
You can watch the video of Lagerfeld’s latest collection below:
Giorgio Armani Exhibits Explosion of Color in Paris:
“‘Couture needs a bit of a shake-up, no?’ Armani enquired backstage before his collection took to the silver catwalk before an A-list audience . . . The starting point, Armani explained, was Surrealism, but not the surrealism of, for example, Dali; rather in the deliberate juxtaposition of pieces which would not, at first, appear to go together.”
Watch the video of Armani’s couture show:
L’Oreal Makes an Offer for YSL Beauté:
“French cosmetics group L’Oreal said Wednesday it has made a firm offer to French luxury goods group PPR SA to acquire the shares of YSL Beauté . . . Under the agreement, L’Oreal would obtain an exclusive and very long-term worldwide license for the use of the Yves Saint Laurent and Boucheron brands in the category of perfumes and cosmetics . . . The company would also take over the licenses for the Stella McCartney, Oscar de la Renta and Ermenegildo Zegna brands.”
Dolce & Gabbana Designers Miffed at Valentino:
“Valentino Garavani was reflecting on his 50-year career and on his rivals when he dismissed Dolce & Gabbana as ‘shy to begin with, but now rather arrogant’ . . . Stefano Gabbana, 46, one half of the label that now has an annual turnover of over £700 million, said: ‘Valentino has been having goodbye parties since last July. I’ve been working.’ He added: ‘To be quite honest, I don’t care what Valentino says about us.’”
Funny, but I think Stefano Gabbana’s comments only serve to prove Valentino’s point . . .
Burlesque Queen Von Teese Parlays Retro Image into Wonderbra Contract:
“Lingerie brand Wonderbra has signed a deal with burlesque star Dita Von Teese to develop a limited edition underwear collection. Dita is the brand’s first ever celebrity guest designer for an exclusive lingerie range, and her collection, which is inspired by 1940s styling and vintage lingerie fashion, will be launched in the UK and France in September 2008.”
Kirsten Dunst to Create Clothing Line:
“Kirsten Dunst is set to collaborate with cashmere label Lutz + Patmos to create a new capsule range . . . Lutz + Patmos have previously collaborated with celebrities including Liv Tyler, Julianne Moore and French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld.”
World’s Third Largest Luxury Firm Sees Slowdown in Growth:
“Richemont, the world’s third largest luxury goods firm after LVMH and PPR, follows Tiffany in cautioning that it is seeing a downturn in the US . . . Richemont said it had enjoyed good underlying growth in October and November but that in the final month ‘demand in the US and Japan slowed somewhat’ . . . The American firm saw a 2% fall in sales with a far bigger downturn at Christmas than Wall Street had expected.”
India Luxury Market is All Hype and No Substance:
“Recently, I met executives of a European luxury brand who bemoaned that international standardised luxury retailing space is non-existent here. ‘How can we create luxury on streets that resemble a ghetto?’ they asked . . . India has no concept of a luxury street. Five-star hotels are often the only choice for luxury brands, but these arcades attract only limited footfalls and create negligible impact.”
