Friday Column | Russians, Recession and Really, Really Expensive Jeans

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Balmain jeans, courtesy of the Guardian/Rex Features

LONDON, United Kingdom — If one wanted an indication that nothing is ever going to be the way it was in luxury, this was the week to watch. Forget about Karl Lagerfeld’s paper accessories at the Chanel haute couture show (a gimmick if there ever were one.) Consider instead the dichotomy of two of the most interesting items in this week’s fashion news. First, that Tom Ford is bringing out jeans with a $990 price tag in the midst of

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IHT Supreme Luxury: Interviews with Ford and Arnault

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We are seriously enjoying these videos from the IHT Supreme Luxury Conference being held this week in Moscow. Suzy Menkes, while not a natural television interviewer, asks all the right questions and solicits some very interesting responses from her interviewees. Today she quizzes Tom Ford on his new label and asks Bernard Arnault about the impact of the credit crunch on the luxury industry. Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH

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Tom Ford: Building a brand, one partner at a time

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I was reading about the NexCen-Camuto acquisition of Shoe-Box and it got me to thinking about Tom Ford. Why, you ask? Because, unlike his tenure at Gucci where, as Fashion Inc points out, it was all about controlling everything, Tom has been using an innovative strategy similar to NexCen's in building his eponymous business. Nexcen (NEXC) believes that by focusing on developing the brand while outsourcing other activities to carefully chosen partners, they can capture outsize performance from their brand investments. It's certainly not an easy proposition to "fix" brands like Bill Blass and Athlete's Foot this way, but I have been intrigued by NexCen ever since I heard Craig Hoffman, an MD at NexCen, speak at the HBS Luxury…

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Links of the week: Sexless Gucci, Gianni-less Versace, Thom and Brooks Brothers

Milan | New York

The Times of London: G-ForceFrida Giannini, the last remaining designer of the trio that was selected to replace Tom Ford at Gucci, is an advocate for Gucci without the sex. According to The Times, the results speak for themselves with a 16% increase in sales to over £1.5b - the highest in the company's history. The New York Times: The Murder on Ocean DriveGianni Versace, who was feted at a glamorous ballet last weekend in Milan, was murdered 10 years ago this month. Cathy Horyn gives us a behind-the-scenes take on that shocking week in Miami in 1997, showing a different side of Gianni's replacement, his sister Donnatella.The Wall Street Journal: Brooks Brothers tries hip line: Will it suit?As a…

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Men’s luxury: Time for an (arm)revolution?

Fashion 2.0 | London | New York

That oft-ignored market for men's luxury has been popping up on my radar screen a lot more often in the last few months. Up until now, men's luxury spending has been dominated by expensive watches. But, as a generation of high net-worth men with a taste for modern design is growing up, more players are reaching out to meet their sophisticated needs in innovative ways. It brings to mind a casual gathering of friends that took place in my kitchen on a recent Saturday evening. Over wine and cheese, I watched in awe as hedge fund managers, private equity investors and investment bankers from London's burgeoning financial community were comparing, discussing and examining each other's (expensive) watches in excruciating detail.…

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