The Luxe Chronicles

Carine Roitfeld: "There Is a Very Fine Line Between Accepting a Gift and Being Bought."

Unless you live deep within the caves of Afghanistan with little or no communication with the outside world, you no doubt are aware that "Irreverent", the tribute book dedicated to former Paris Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld penned by Olivier Zahm (Purple Magazine) is set to drop just in time for Paris Fashion Week. Ms. Roitfeld is therefore currently doing a series of press interviews for the book including one in which she graciously sat down with a group of French fashion bloggers.

Social Media: Mr. Zuckerberg Goes To Washington.

First came the heavyweight lobbyist in the form of Joel Kaplan, former deputy chief of staff under George W. Bush and the man known throughout Washington as responsible for successfully shepherding the highly invasive Patriot Act through Congress. Now comes the PAC (Political Action Committee) which will funnel political donations to various political candidates who might be persuaded to help them advance their policy interests. This is no coincidence.

Breaking: Fashion Writer Dares To Publicly Criticize Tom Ford.

Dear Readers:

Apologies for the delay in posting this morning. I was momentarily dazed and confused after reading an actual honest critique of Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2012 collection in The Guardian this morning. I'm collecting myself right now but please do take the time to read this short piece posted by Jess Cartner-Morley. I also suggest you bookmark the webpage as this type of event doesn't happen every fashion season.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Social Media: A Bit Of Common Courtesy Will Do.

"Dear Blogger Person ... "

In my work, I have the opportunity to interact with a great many PR firms and reps who are polite, effective and utterly professional. Having said this, my "IN" box is currently clogged with e-mails from PR reps representing celebrities, designers and/or brands with a rather questionable grasp of business etiquette or even common courtesy.

Fashion: Bloggers In Bed With Brands ...

Isn't it ironic that fashion bloggers, once plucky outsiders who were unafraid to speak their mind honestly and hold brands accountable for their missteps are now eagerly embracing business opportunities with those same brands? Fashion blogging has obviously come a long way. The latest high-profile blogger/brand alliance features controversial US-based high street fast fashion chain Forever 21 and UK-based blogger Bip Ling. The latter is fronting the media campaign for the opening of the chain's first UK store.

Luxury: Brand Building In The Age Of Social Media.

In an ideal world, a brand's social media activities would be fully and seamlessly integrated into its overall communications strategy. In reality, few brands actually achieve this goal either because they haven't fully understood the nature of social media and are effectively transposing old reflexes to a new genre or, don't fully believe in its potential and are merely going through the motions. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the luxury sector which, unlike the fashion industry, is still lagging far behind in terms of social media adoption and deployment.

Fashion: Spotlight On The Dynamic Duo Of Italian Design.

I have been kindly invited to attend the launch party marking the introduction of Dolce & Gabbana to Net-A-Porter's already stellar designer line up this evening. To be honest, I've always had a soft spot for their sexy Dolce Vita-inspired vibe and am intrigued by their decision earlier this year to fold their D&G diffusion line into their main line. I otherwise know very little about them beyond the usual PR hype.

Gastronomy: Janet Mohapi-Banks & The Art Of Cake Making.

"Let them eat cake!" Had the deeply misunderstood and much maligned last Queen of France actually uttered that fateful phrase, then I'm reasonably certain that she would have had the kind of sublimely beautiful confections that emanate from the kitchens of Janet Mohapi-Banks in mind. Hand made from scratch right down to the last hand-painted edible rose petal and delivered personally by the charming Ms. Mohapi-Banks in the flesh, her cake business is more akin to the haute couture experience in spirit than cake baking in the traditional sense.

Apologies ...

Dear Readers:

My apologies for the lack of post yesterday. My plate is just a little bit full right now and I've fallen behind. I will resume my normal posting schedule just as soon as I can clear the decks! À très bientôt!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury: The Cost of Ignoring Digital Privacy.

For most web users, the terms "data protection" relate vaguely to hackers or identity theft and not much more. Rarely does the average consumer worry about the collection of seemingly innocuous personal data through web browsing, app use and social media (especially when accessed via mobile device). They should. More importantly, so should luxury industry executives for issues of digital privacy are more likely to impact negatively on their relationship with customers than mass consumer brands.