News that Liz Claiborne was seeking to terminate its 16-month old partnership with designer Narciso Rodriguez over differences relating to the proposed expansion of his brand - the fashion industry's equivalent of 'irreconcilable differences' - was disappointing but hardly surprising. I've always been skeptical of businesses specialized in mid-market fashion suddenly wanting to dabble in luxury. It takes considerable time to build a luxury brand and a willingness to stick with the vision even during turbulent economic conditions. Ultimately, I don't believe that companies whose business models are premised on volume and mass distribution have the sensitivity or the stamina to stick it out in the luxury market.
All looks from Narciso Rodriguez, Spring/Summer 2009 collection. All photos by Marcio Madeira, courtesy of Style.com.
This is why I take issue with media accounts that paint Rodriguez as a talented but 'difficult' designer thereby suggesting that the partnership's demise was somehow his doing. Among the issues the parties clashed over were licensing agreements and staffing. Fundamentally, it is Rodriguez' blood, sweat and tears that have gone into building his brand thus far and his name that will remain on the label after the lucrative licensing deals are signed. Licensing deals, when not properly managed, can dilute a brand, confuse consumers and do irreparable damage to a designer's image. Rodriguez' insistence on putting the right executives in place to manage expansion of his brand is therefore perfectly understandable. It also happens to be good business despite what some might say.
Like all followers of fashion, I've long admired Narciso Rodriguez' elegant, minimalist aesthetic. The sharp tailoring of his garments gives even the most simple of dresses a sexy edge and sophistication that makes you stand out in a room (in a good way). Rodriguez' philosophy and approach to the fashion business is not unlike Azzedine Alaia's in many respects. The Tunisian-born Paris-based designer is famous for his insistence on controlling every aspect of the creative process and for making little or no compromises on quality and technique. He also tightly controls distribution. There are no 'diffusion' lines, no endless array of accessories available in virtually every conceivable color. I don't even think there is an Azzedine Alaia fragrance. Instead, when a customer purchases an Alaia garment, she is in essence getting the designer's vision, talent and technique distilled to its purest form possible. Alaia had entered into a financial partnership with Prada Group in 2000, a deal that was dissolved in 2007 without ever yielding the anticipated results. Upon dissolution of the deal, Alaia recouped 100% control of his business including most importantly, his name. He then very shrewdly entered into a new financial deal with Groupe Richemont, a luxury conglomerate with a keen understanding of luxury and probably the only one of the three big luxury conglomerates with enough sensitivity to "get" Alaia and his vision. In other words, it was a perfect match. My fondest wish for Narciso Rodriguez is that he find's his own perfect match. He deserves no less.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
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