Fashion Industry News Roundup: 09/20/08

1. Prada Debuts New Infusion for Men:
"The Puig group has created a new masculine fragrance from the house of Prada, called Infusion d'Homme . . . Inspired by Prada's second flagship feminine fragrance, Infusion d'Iris, which was launched worldwide last autumn, Infusion d'Homme is described as an idiosyncratic and subtle scent for the contemporary man . . .Tonally the scent is similar to its predecessor, but with more accentuated masculine notes, such as neroli, cedar, vetiver, incense and benzoin."

Below is a video that combines 9 short experimental films commissioned to coincide with the release of Prada Infusions d'Homme:

2. Oscar de la Renta is Pissed Off at the Metropolitan Opera:
"(Oscar de la Renta), a certain longtime fan of the Met, who's also a proud naturalized U.S. citizen with a New York-based business, will not be in attendance at the (Met opening gala) event for the first time in 20 years or so . . . de la Renta was none too happy to learn that Renée Fleming's onstage frocks for the affair were designed by Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano and Christian Lacroix. 'If this were the French opera, would they be asking three American designers?' de la Renta fumed. 'This is not a personal thing that I should have been one of the designers, not at all. But I think that American fashion should have been represented . . . what [Met Director Gelb] is telling me is that the American industry and American talent is not as good as the one he can get from Europe.'"

Gelb insists he was simply choosing the designers he felt were best for the event rather than allowing nationality to influence his decision. De la Renta counters that there are numerous talented American designers (for example, himself, Marc Jacobs, Peter Som, Doo.ri Chung, Narciso Rodriguez, Erin Fetherston, Thakoon Panichgul, Zac Posen, Vera Wang, etc.) who would have been thrilled to have been selected for such a job, and that in a period of economic slowdown, it is grossly negligent on the part of Gelb and the Met to accept U.S. Government art grants and ask for financial support from U.S. patrons while ignoring the U.S. fashion industry when it wants its costumes designed.

De la Renta canceled his financial contribution to the Met for this year: "I thought the check had been sent out," de la Renta said. "When I talked to the office yesterday, they said yes, the check is still here. So I said, 'Don't send it.' It sounds petty," de la Renta continued. "But this is the place where I work. I think that there is a tremendous amount of talent in this country. I have to defend the talent in this country."

3. Gucci CEO Steps Down Amid Signs of Slowing Growth:
"In major surprise for the fashion industry, Mark Lee has announced that he will quit his position as CEO of Gucci on Dec. 31, 2008, in a remarkable example of a brilliant manager taking time off. The news was doubly startling, seeing the results Lee had achieved at Gucci, which has enjoyed a remarkable 46 percent surge in global sales collectively in the past three years under his management. . . . Nonetheless, Gucci has not been spared the recent downturn in the luxury business, posting flat operating income of 285 million euros, or $413 million, in the most recent quarter."

Some reports claim that he stepped down freely, while there are also rumors that he was forced out by PPR management disappointed in Gucci's downward trending sales results for the first two quarters of 2008. Either way, Mr. Lee is stepping down right before the worst of the sh*t hits the economic fan, and I'm certain he leaves with a nice severance package tucked under his arm, too. Smart man.

The more I read and hear about the shrinking global economy, the more irrelevant and almost Plug Your Ears La La La! bizarre a collection like the one below appears (Gucci Menswear Spring/Summer 2009):

4. Pucci Names Norwegian Designer as New Creative Director:
"Peter Dundas, the Norwegian designer of colorful, hippie de luxe glamour, will be the new creative director at Emilio Pucci . . . In the game of designer musical chairs, Dundas was tapped as the creative director at Ungaro in Paris, after serving as the right hand of the Italian designer Roberto Cavalli. He was ousted from Ungaro and joined Revillon, where he has found critical and commercial success."

Below is a video clip of a collection Dundas designed for Ungaro for Fall 2006:

5. Designer Fashion Phones Continue to Ring Up Sales:
"(ABI Research) has forecasted that the luxury phone segment's annual, global revenue will exceed $11 billion next year and surpass $43 billion by 2013 . . . the traditional players -- carriers, vendors and retailers -- all benefit, as do the luxury brands themselves, according to ABI Research analyst Kevin Burden. The LG Prada phone, for example, allows Prada -- with its traditionally female customer base -- to extend its appeal to men as well . . . Dolce & Gabbana's customer base for its line of clothing, footwear and handbags may well throw a handset into their gilded shopping cart."

Amusing video clip below of a youtube user lovingly displaying her blinged-out Gucci phone with diamonds, complete with Celine Dion power ballad in the background:

UPDATE:

Chanel is the No. 1 Knock-Off Brand in South Korea:
"French luxury brand Chanel most frequently falls victim to widespread trademark breaches in South Korea, which continues to grapple with rampant circulation of fake designer products, a government report showed Sunday . . . South Korea is famous for its 'super fake,' or class A, designer goods, which are said to be perfect imitations of the originals . . . Seoul's failure to effectively crack down on piracy of luxury brands has been a major stumbling block in bilateral trade with the European Union and the United States, with over 3,000 counterfeit sales being detected annually since 2004."

Hmmm, not exactly the kind of Top Spot I'd be shooting for if I were a major luxury brand. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it's also the costliest when it comes in the shape of pirated logos and counterfeit designs.