Tom Ford

The subtle, striking, Kering transformation of Gucci

April 24, 2013 1:32 pm by Vanessa Friedman

PPR-about-to-be-Kering is on something of another spending spree. In the last two days they have announced two (count ‘em) acquisitions in Italy: the jewellery brand Pomellato, and the porcelain house Richard Ginori. The first buy is getting the most press, but it’s the second that really interests me. See, it wasn’t officially bought by Kering, but by Gucci (though this could be semantics, since Kering owns Gucci), and the purchase is being spun as the rescue of an important “Made in Italy” brand. Add that to two other Gucci intiatives, and it seems an image change is in the works, and no one has really noticed. Read more

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Posted in Fashion, Luxury goods, Marketing |

Lloyd Blankfein goes in for Tom Ford beard

January 28, 2013 1:24 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Lloyd Blankfein. Getty Images

The new stubbly look of Goldman Sachs’ chief executive Lloyd Blankfein was the subject of much buzz at Davos last week. Sometimes you have to talk about something besides the Eurozone and exciting new tech breakthroughs, and in so doing, it caused endless irritation for the Goldman communications team – it didn’t see why everyone cared so much.

Do they really have to ask? Methinks that is a bit disengenuous. After all, Mr Blankfein’s new look was unveiled at: 1) the most public gathering of his peers all year, and one he was returning to for the first time in five years; and 2) bore a striking resemblance to the facial hair sported by that most considered and controlled of all aesthetic men, Tom Ford – the man who transformed the role of the designer into an executive position, and became a public figure in the process. Take a look at the pictures and tell me what you think. Read more

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Posted in Fashion, Finance, Menswear |

Wang officially moves to Balenciaga, more than doubles workload

December 3, 2012 5:11 pm by Vanessa Friedman

So it’s official: Alexander Wang, the 28-year-old wunderkind who launched his eponymous brand in New York only five years ago has just been handed the creative director reins at Balenciaga. He will continue to run his own brand (which is owned independently by Wang and his family), and split his time between New York and Paris. His first collection will be autumn/winter 2013 womenswear, next March. I’m wondering, does this indicate a new theory about/stage in luxury brands?

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Posted in Fashion, Luxury goods, Shows |

Nicolas Ghesquière to leave Balenciaga

November 5, 2012 3:36 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Today PPR announced, in one of the terser emails I’ve gotten, that they had mutually decided to part ways with uber-designer, fashion favourite, and more superlatives like that, Nicholas Ghesquiere. November 30th will be his last day. So what do we think happened?

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Posted in Fashion |

Celebrity wedding freebies?

October 24, 2012 7:52 pm by Vanessa Friedman

And so now we know: Jessica Biel wed Justin Timberlake in pink Giambattista Valli, while the groom wore Tom Ford. OMG! OMG! I can barely contain myself. Actually, the thing that I can barely contain is some information I learned while discussing celebrity weddings in general with a publicist for a big brand who will remain nameless: all those couture dresses made just for the celebs special day? They are almost never paid for.  Read more

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Posted in Fashion |

The brand is more important than the editor, Prada’s £2,500 perfume, and more

August 27, 2012 5:38 pm by Vanessa Friedman

What’s been happening over the last two weeks? What’s the news we can use? Here are my top three recent titbits — the ones that at first glance don’t seem so important, but on second look have outsize implications, from NY Fashion Week’s first casuality to Prada’s new super-expensive perfume, and the rise of the magazine brand as star.
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Posted in Beauty, Fashion, Ready-to-wear, Shows |

Google and Microsoft follow fashion

August 10, 2012 2:09 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Reading my newspaper over coffee this morning, I almost fell out of my chair while perusing a tech story on Google, Amazon et al, which ended with the following observation: “Google, Microsoft and Amazon all have the potential to adopt Apple’s vertical model of combining software, services and hardware to gain complete control over the design and function of future mobile devices.” Because the thing is, dear reader, it’s not “Apple’s approach” exactly – or it is, but Apple got it from somewhere else first. And where would that be? Fashion, of course.
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Posted in Fashion, Financial results, Internet, Luxury goods, Marketing |

“Europe will be a luxury goods Disneyland”

July 24, 2012 3:00 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Recently I was talking to James Carsellis, the entrepreneur behind web start-up Luxup, and he mentioned the theory that Europe was becoming a luxury goods Disneyland for emerging market consumers. You know: a place where the entertainment value/point lies in shopping for expensive stuff. I don’t think the comparison is that far-fetched.
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Posted in China, Couture, Fashion, Internet, Luxury goods |
From FT.com May 30, 2012

How important is a creative director? This question has plagued the fashion and luxury world ever since Tom Ford walked away from Gucci in 2004, and has been as subject to trend as any dress.

From believing that star designers (designer, creative director, artistic director and chief creative officer all being synonyms) were crucial to the success of a brand, the pendulum of industry wisdom has swung in the opposite direction.

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Posted in Fashion, Luxury goods |

The money-making Met Ball

May 8, 2012 4:11 pm by Vanessa Friedman

Mayor Bloomberg said it in his speech: “this is the Oscars of the East Coast.” Tom Ford said “There’s more fashion here than at the Oscars.” They were both talking, of course, about last night’s Met Gala, which raises an enormous amount of money for the museum’s Costume Institute (most of its annual operating budget, according to a spokesperson), works as highly effective advertising for all the fashion houses that participate, and, this time, also provided an unprecedented launch pad for a new brand. And you thought it was just a party. Hah.

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Posted in Fashion |
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