Christophe Lemaire portrait by Patrick Swirck | Source: Courtesy Hermès
The Discreet Charm of Christophe Lemaire (WSJ Magazine)
“It’s been two years since Lemaire was hired to replace Jean Paul Gaultier as the designer of women’s ready-to-wear for Hermès. This accounts for less than 10 percent of the company’s sales and is dwarfed by accessories, which have the advantage of being both more iconic… and more accessible, like its silk scarves, watches and enamel bracelets.”
A Game Changer for Luxury Goods (Financial)
“The luxury goods industry lost some of its swagger in 2012. Having shown robust insulation from global economic volatility post-2008, cracks appeared in the form of profit warnings and investor jitters over softer growth in China.”
Richemont Declines as Sales Miss Analyst Estimates on Asia (Businessweek)
“Richemont, the maker of Cartier jewelry, fell the most in more than a year in Zurich trading after reporting third-quarter revenue that missed analysts’ estimates as Asia Pacific sales stopped growing.”
China’s metrosexual men revive luxury shopping (Reuters)
“Let’s hear it for the boys. China’s fashion-forward men are snapping up Gucci and Burberry bags, driving a rebound in the luxury market months after a slow down in spending by the world’s biggest luxury goods buyers spooked global investors.”
Mystery of Missing Vittorio Missoni Deepens in Venezuela (The Daily Beast)
“For the family, there are just too many discrepancies to accept what seems to be the obvious fate of the foursome and their crew. Because of the lightweight nature of the aircraft, it would have broken up on impact, leaving a debris field of floating fiberglass and, potentially, personal effects…”