The Luxe Chronicles

Fashion: The Seedier Side of the Industry

U.K. supermarket chain Asda is launching a cheap knock-off version of the Balmain mini-dress worn by Kate Moss. By knock-off, I mean quite literally a seam-for-seam copy rather than the typical "homage" piece or "re-interpretation". The usual argument invoked to defend this blatant rip-off of intellectual property is to suggest that the target customer (high street consumer) is not the typical Balmain customer and therefore Balmain doesn't lose sales and incurs no harm. I find this argument unpersuasive and intellectually dishonest.

Fashion: What's Wrong With Fashion Magazines?

"Seriously?!"

It has become fashionable (pardon the pun) to dissect the troubles afflicting print fashion magazines these days. The recession, excessive photoshopping, underfed models, the stale content of many magazines and of course, the Internet, are routinely cited as explanations for the overall decline in ad revenue and circulation. U.S.Vogue as the industry leader is getting more than its share of scrutiny and critique (much of it deserved). While many of the reasons cited may indeed be contributing factors, I don't think any of the analyses proffered to date are particularly convincing.

Luxury: A Reprieve for Lacroix?

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. France's newly minted culture Minister, Frédéric Mitterrand, has expressed his intention to assist Christian Lacroix in finding a solution to his current financial crisis. Describing the potential loss of Lacroix's couture business as "un désastre culturel" (a cultural disaster), Mr. Mitterrand has vowed to step in and in his words "ne pas rester inerte" (not remain passive). En toute déférence Monsieur le Ministre, il était temps!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Fashion: Vive Lacroix!

And vive the spirit of solidarity that binds the French fashion community!

Fashion: A Reality Check from Manolo Blahnik

Fashion designers are often portrayed as being frivolous or eccentric or both and it's not uncommon for them to be mocked by those outside the industry. This was abundantly on display for instance in Morley Safer's supremely superficial profile of Anna Wintour for U.S. "news" program 60 Minutes a few months back. While some designers like John Galliano or Karl Lagerfeld do indeed invite that kind of derision by cultivating an eccentric public persona and making provocative statements to the press, they are hardly the norm. There are plenty of very talented designers who stand firmly on the other end of the spectrum like shoe-tsar Manolo Blahnik but the press rarely focus on them.

Fashion: Chanel Inc. on How to Make Friends and Influence People

Many journalists, writers, online editors and bloggers received the above notice from Chanel's corporate parent recently politely instructing them to refrain from what the company considers an inappropriate usurpation of their brand name (please click on the above image to read). Not since Apple Computer tried (unsuccessfully) to prevent the use of any and all images resembling that most ubiquitous fruit, the apple, has a brand sought to push the limits of trademark infringement law this far.

Luxury: Are We Preaching Into the Wind?

Social responsibility seems all the rage right now. Terms like "ethical luxury" and "sustainable luxury" have crept into the lexicons of luxury CEO's and marketeers alike. It's hard to tell where this new social conscience will lead but it does remind me of the debate over the ethicalness of wearing fur. I came across these images of Blackgama adverts and Peta's 2005 parody on a blog called Planet Fabulon (a veritable visual feast of glamorous imagery which I highly recommend).

Luxury: Arrests Made in Harry Winston Heist

The French police have made arrests in connection with the jewel heist which took place at Harry Winston's Avenue Montaigne flagship in Paris in December 2008, one of the most audacious and important jewel heists to take place in Paris in the past 10 years. The robbery took place on December 4 when four masked men (two disguised as women) entered the store at gunpoint. After neutralizing store personnel, they forced the manager to open the safe and made off with 85 million Euros worth of jewels. The December 2008 heist topped the October 2007 heist at the same location when thieves made off with 20 million Euros worth of jewelry, watches and objets d'art.

Luxury: Blending Ethics and E-Commerce at deFaura.com

Up until very recently, the luxury industry as a whole was considered a laggard with regards to the Internet. Few brands seemed willing to venture beyond the typical corporate website or occasional marketing effort. While fashion brands eventually came around, many sectors of the luxury industry including fine jewelers have been especially wary of the Internet for anything more than marketing purposes.

Fashion: Oh Glenda! What Have You Wrought?

Everyone from media professionals to fashion bloggers are up-in-arms over U.S. Harper's Bazaar July issue featuring Angelina Jolie. Rather than commissioning a cover shot especially for the purpose as is customary for most high-end fashion glossies, the publication resorted to using a paparazzi photograph from one of Jolie's many red carpet appearances instead, a tactic more closely associated with tabloids like the National Inquirer than a blue-chip fashion magazine of Harper's Bazaar's stature.