Monthly Archives: November 2010

The Reimanns’ stealth luxury group grows

November 30, 2010 4:31 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Oh, the tangled web these luxury moguls weave. We all know about Bernard Arnault and Francois-Henri Pinault, but how about those Reimanns? Granted, the name doesn’t rhyme as well with their rivals, but the German billionaires are creeping down the luxury acquisition warpath led by executive Peter Harf.

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Posted in Luxury goods |

Is all Chinese consumption created equal?

November 29, 2010 5:09 pm by Vanessa Friedman

The New York Times magazine had a bumper package yesterday entitled “Shop China Shop!” Actually, the shopping story turned out to be subordinant to a bigger, Chinese economy story, but I guess it made a better cover. I hoped what was inside could answer a pressing question I’ve had about the lifespan of blingy luxury in emerging markets.

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Posted in China, Luxury goods, Marketing |

The son (of Arnault) also rises

November 26, 2010 3:23 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Antoine Arnault, Bernard Arnault’s 33-year-old son from his first marriage, is stepping into the management hot seat. Though it has not been officially announced, insiders have confirmed he is leaving his current job as Communications Director of Louis Vuitton to become managing director of Berluti, the luxury shoe brand that LVMH bought in 1993, in the new year.  Read more

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Posted in Luxury goods, Menswear |

US Vogue shoot stirs debate over political incorrectness

November 25, 2010 4:28 pm by Vanessa Friedman

It’s been somewhat amusing to watch the reaction to the December American Vogue, wherein the magazine mistakenly reveals, hidden among other exciting things (like how Angelina Jolie feels about Brad Pitt), a notable political incorrectness. Read more

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Posted in China, Fashion |

The beauty/fashion spending spree

November 24, 2010 1:22 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Yesterday marked a sudden surge in spending — not just on stuff, but on companies. According to the investment bankers with their eye on the retail and fashion sector, Christmas itself has come early: J. Crew has been sold for billions to private equity! Gymboree has gone to Bain! Coty has bought Philosophy from the Carlyle Group! (Remember: three=trend.) Action! The engine has restarted! And so on.

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Posted in Finance, Luxury goods |

And Ashton Kutcher makes a celebrity-tech-fashion threesome!

November 23, 2010 3:13 pm by Vanessa Friedman

So, re my post yesterday, apparently I am not the only one who has taken note of the action in the virtual fashion space. Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, those Tweet-savants, as well as Nina Garcia of Project Runway and Marie Claire magazine fame (and – full disclosure – another old Elle colleague) have all invested in a Series A fundraising round for Fashism.com, a virtual gaming site/app where players post photos of themselves, and other users get to vote on whether or not they should buy the pictured outfit.

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Posted in Fashion, Finance, Internet |

Take that Google: Fashion’s affair with Tumblr

November 22, 2010 4:00 pm by Vanessa Friedman

It’s starting to seem like practically every week there’s some new digital love story happening with fashion, and hey — you’ll be happy to know this week is no exception! There’s a very good piece this morning on BusinessofFashion.com about the rise of Tumblr as the platform of choice for the fashion world, and the company’s decision to make fashion a central core of their community.
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Posted in Fashion, Internet |

Answering the anti-fashion eggheads

November 20, 2010 6:17 pm by David Firn

All comments and reactions appreciated. Read more

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Posted in Fashion, Womenswear |

Does H&M have Designs on the High End?

November 19, 2010 3:47 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Last night I went to the Pierre hotel in New York to see a Lanvin loves H&M fashion show. They – by which I mean H&M, since this was clearly their gig to fund, though it had been given a Lanvin make-over — had taken over a jewel-like ballroom in the luxury hotel and erected a catwalk; outside was a red carpet.  Read more

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Posted in Fashion, Marketing, Womenswear |

“Accessible luxury” – too inaccessible a term?

November 18, 2010 3:12 pm by Vanessa Friedman

The other day a very successful middle market etailer came to see me, to talk about her company’s growth and plans for the future. Aside from adding a magazine editor to pump up the content (this is a major trend in fashion web sites), said etailer is also renaming what they sell: instead of “accessible luxury” they are going to offer “everyday luxury.”

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Posted in Internet, Luxury goods, Marketing, Ready-to-wear |
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