The Luxe Chronicles

Fashion: The Perils of Celebrity-Fronted Campaigns

I had to laugh when I read the quotes attributed to Ultimo, the U.K.-based lingerie company which up until yesterday, counted Peaches Geldof (daughter of Sir Bob Geldof) as celebrity spokes-model for their Miss Ultimo brand, a range of lingerie which targets young twenty-something women. The company terminated Ms. Geldoff as the face/body of Miss Ultimo after a story began circulating over the weekend on U.S. gossip site Gawker that allegedly involved sex, drugs and Scientology, a story Ms. Geldof denies.

Smythson: When a Luxury Brand Becomes Political Fodder

"Oye posh boy! Have you packed your Smythson notebooks?"

What does a British luxury brand and its tiny, leather bound notebooks have to do with national politics in Britain? In the estimation of Ian Jack, a columnist at The Guardian newspaper, apparently quite a bit. Mr. Jack wrote a rather long column this past weekend entitled An Unauthorised History of Smythson's. The subtitle reads: "Samantha Cameron's £800 bags fit right in at a firm indirectly made rich by the sale of public assets." That alone should tell you something.

Fashionair and the Art of Brand Building in the Era of Web 2.0

It used to be that to succeed in fashion or accessories design, a designer needed a good dose of design talent, an even bigger dose of luck and enough ambition to see it through. Personality may have had something to do with it behind the scenes but overall, crippling shyness (as in the case of Yves Saint Laurent) or even quasi-reclusiveness (as in the case of Cristobal Balenciaga) weren't necessarily an impediment to success. Now, with the advent of Web 2.0 and its many facets, it seems that the formula for success requires a healthy dose of showmanship as well. Lucky for Christian Louboutin he has the entire package.

Fashion for Relief: You Have Until March 29th.

Just a reminder that you have until Monday, March 29th to purchase fabulous fashions in support of Naomie Campbell's Fashion for Relief initiative on Net-A-Porter. There are still some stellar pieces available from Lanvin, Giambattista Valli and Celine amongst others. All net proceeds will be donated to The White Ribbon Alliance, an international coalition of organizations and individuals who work tirelessly to save the lives of pregnant women and newborn babies around the world. The funds raised from this year's Fashion for Relief initiative will be dedicated to rebuilding the healthcare system for mothers and their babies in Haiti. It would be difficult to find a better cause or a better reason to shop.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: Roberto Cavalli Ranks Above Hermes and Balenciaga?

"Roberto Cavalli? Really?"

The Luxury Institute, an independent U.S. based ratings, research and consulting firm recently released its annual "Best of the Best" survey identifying the top brands as rated by wealthy U.S. consumers. For the purposes of this survey, luxury brands were organized by category including women’s fashion, women’s shoes, men’s fashion and men’s shoes. A group of high net-worth individuals were then asked to rate each brand in terms of combined quality, exclusivity, customer experience and peer prestige. The results of the survey are pretty much what one would expect. This said, there are one or two brands that made the top slots which left me asking "really?!".

Fashion: Bill Cunningham, Cultural Anthropologist

I'm profoundly jealous. More precisely, I'm profoundly jealous of all my friends and contacts living in New York City or in and around the tri-state area because they have the opportunity to attend the screening of Bill Cunningham New York and I don't.

Luxury: Bulgari Continues its Support of "Save the Children"

To whom much is given much is expected. A number of luxury brands have taken this teaching to heart and are doing their part to help alleviate suffering around the world through various charitable projects. As a follow up to its "Rewrite the Future" campaign in support of Save the Children organization begun in 2009, the year of its 125th anniversary, Italian fine jeweler Bulgari has designed a series of special edition versions of the brand's Chandra handbag to be auctioned for the benefit of Save the Children's assistance operations in Haiti.

Carpe Diem!

Spring has sprung this week in London (or at least what passes for Spring anyway). I find myself daydreaming of elegant picnics and alfresco dining. It's making it awfully difficult to concentrate ... I've therefore given myself the day off. I trust you understand. A demain!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: China - E.U. Politics or Something More?

Luxury brands have long claimed that any substandard products that may arise in the course of production are immediately destroyed to preserve the brand's image and reputation for exacting standards of quality. This is why I'm intrigued by a piece in today's Telegraph detailing Chinese claims of widespread problems with imported European designer clothes produced outside of China (Yes, I know. Ironic isn't it?).

Luxury: Online Fraud Targets Luxury Brands and Their Customers

"Not all that glitters is gold." This old saying holds true even today, especially online. Internet fraud involving luxury brands rose significantly in 2009. The techniques range from cybersquatting to phishing to hacking into social media sites in an attempt to obtain credit card details and banking information. If something on a site looks suspicious, please exercise caution before you part with sensitive personal information and report any suspicious e-mails or messages directly to the brand(s) involved. Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles