July 2023 Analysis: Brands, Trends, Values, Style, Activism, Interviews
/ Anne Enke
Featured
Kering will acquire a 30 per cent share in Valentino from parent company Qatar’s Mayhoola for an all-cash sum of €1.7 billion, the conglomerate announced on Thursday. The agreement, a significant acquisition for Kering’s fashion business, includes the option for Kering to acquire 100 per cent of the share capital of Valentino within five years. It will immediately acquire Valentino board representation upon necessary approvals of the deal.
The transaction is part of a broader strategic partnership between Kering and Mayhoola, which could lead to Mayhoola becoming a shareholder in Kering. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2023, subject to approval.
There’s an A-team on this new summer 2023 campaign including art directors Kevin Tekinel and Charles Levai, director Tin Seoi and photographer Leslie Zhang [IG], whose photography we love. Taiwanese actor Wen Qi and Chinese singer Daniel Zhou star are the lovebirds.
AOC disagrees with more than one fashion writer who has seen this new Gucci ‘An Ode to Love’ campaign and responded with words of praise that storytelling is back at Gucci. Whew!
This new campaign is pure and innocent — which is not how Alessandro Michele served it up. He took you into the setting to experience the imagery yourself, not as an observer.
In my case, he sometimes admonished me [metaphorically], because I wasn’t in the mood to be part of the joke. Yet I chuckled when he grabbed me by the arm, saying “Would you take a damn break, Anne, and let your imagination run wild. Come and play with us.”
Mattel golden boy Richard Dickson is the new CEO of Gap, ending a year-long search for a visionary leader to take the helm of the struggling mothership brand. Dickson is widely credited with reviving Barbie for the 21st century.
President and COO at Mattel
Mattel announced Dickson’s departure as President and Chief Operating Officer to staff early Wednesday, as many were still celebrating Barbie’s humongous box office success. In his role, Mr. Dickson leads Mattel's portfolio of global brands, overseeing innovation strategy, design and development, and brand marketing.
Dickson joined the retailer’s board in November 2022 and is responsible for a new partnership in which Gap sells merchandise themed around Mattel’s properties. First up is Barbie, where Gap began selling T-shirts, hoodies, jeans and other gear inspired by Barbie and Ken in May.
On June 29, 2023 creative director Daniel Lee’s evolution of the Burberry brand continued with the opening of the renovated New Bond Street store in London.
The 22,000 sq m space stretching over three floors, has been transformed into a minimal, modern space with an with open-plan design.
It’s safe to say that in the area of store design, Burberry has met the 21st century, and there is nothing uniquely British about the interior environment.
Skims co-founders Kim Kardashian and CEO Jens Grede have confirmed a new $4 billion valuation for the company, after raising $270 million in a new Series C funding round.
Skims was previously valued at $3.2 million.
The new capital investment was led by Wellington Management and also includes funds from Greenoaks Capital Partners and existing partners D1 Capital Partners and Imaginary Ventures.
Mr. Grede has confirmed that Skims anticipates sales of about $750 million in 2023, up from $500 million in 2022. About 15 percent of its online customers come from outside the United States.
Burberry’s [IG] Winter 2023 campaign is out, lensed by Tyrone Lebon [IG] in Scotland’s Isle of Skye and Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway.
About the cow . . .
AOC needs to make one small point. We are thrilled with the cow, and the speed with which Burberry delivered it. It was only Monday in writing about Daniel Lee’s second Resort 2024 collection, that we brought up cows for Burberry. Voila! We have a cow.
It’s great but . . .. . . it was cows in relation to the Burberry dandelion print revised to a daffodil. Because we are promoting a great climate change study with cows and daffodils.
Embracing her faux French roots without behaving like an imposter, it’s perfectly natural — even logical — that Sporty & Rich finds itself in an exciting collaboration with one of the world’s most important destinations — Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Antibes.
Sporty & Rich is not just a fashion brand; it represents a lifestyle that seamlessly blends athleticism, wellness and luxury. At its core, the brand embraces the belief that being active and maintaining physical fitness should not compromise one's sense of style or desire for clothes with an attitude of luxury.
Canadian-born, New York-based founder Emily Oberg has a sixth-sense for brand DNA and pedigree, and she plays her hand expertly — choosing a name like Sporty & Rich for her brand, but not falling down the rabbit hole of vapid pretentiousness.
Kaia Gerber returns to Celine’s new 2023 campaign in a collection named “Age of Indieness”, with its big reveal last December 2022 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
The Chasseur jacket, the Newspaper Triomphe bag, and bold sunglasses worn 24/7 express the Celine vibe in the new campaign.
Slimane’s images of Gerber channel the rebellious spirit of the mid-2000s. Kaia wears all the sleek and structured silhouettes we’ve come to expect from Hedi Slimane, who has refashioned the LVMH brand in his own image.
As Phoebe Philo is ready to return with her own eponymous collection, with a beloved following, LVMH financing and her Celine old mailing list, it’s important to note the great success that Celine has enjoyed under Hedi Slimane’s tenure as creative director.
Reality is that LVMH has achieved staggering results with the expansions of Louis Vuitton and also Dior. I would never second guess their goals on what is achievable with Celine.
Nestled in the enchanting Italian coastal town of Forte dei Marmi, Caffè Principe stands as a true testament to the la dolce vita marriage of excellence and timelessness.
Since its establishment in 1959, this iconic establishment has been a haven for discerning coffee lovers, gastronomes, and art enthusiasts alike. The cafe reopened today, July 9, 2023, with its legacy intact.
In fact, Caffe Principe has been restored to honor the legacy of the hotspot, keeping its original name. Caffè Principe is managed operationally by Marchesi 1824, which makes perfect sense.
The Rencontres Economiques des Metiers d'Art Forum, organized by leading partner LVMH, is an exciting new platform celebrating the convergence of art, artisanship and commerce in the luxury sector.
The platform launched in the picturesque town of Tonnerre, Burgundy on June 30, 2023, designed to bring together renowned artisans, industry experts, art enthusiasts business leaders to explore the rich but intricate relationship between craftsmanship and economics.
With a focus on preserving traditional techniques while embracing innovation, the goal of the forum was and will be a catalyst for dialogue and collaboration among talented individuals from various artistic disciplines. It’s indisputable that the artisans themselves are at the center of this metaphorical wheel of French excellence.
