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flaunt the imperfection
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Monday, April 18, 2005
The Sac Race: The Alexander Method
By Miles Socha
from wwd...excerpt...
PARIS —
McQueen’s new signature Novak bag — inspired by actress Kim Novak, whose best-known film is Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 “Vertigo” — has an air of lethal chic with its “Alien”-esque anatomy and a look that is at once retro and futuristic. “There is a kind of strength and a bit of aggression in it; it’s almost like a cage,” the designer said in an exclusive interview about the project. “It does strengthen a woman’s appearance.”
And McQueen hopes it will do the same for his business, which is gunning for profitability by 2007, a deadline set by parent Gucci Group . Still, McQueen bristled at the suggestion that his accessories push and fall collection praised for its wearability, were the products of a top-down directive that was* obeyed. “Tell me what to do and I’m likely to do the opposite,” he said. “I just think [the collection] was relevant to today. It was more about the construction and the silhouette than excess detailing.”
Yet developing an identifiable, long-running handbag for the house, as Nicolas Ghesquière did for Balenciaga with his hit Lariat style, is clearly a driving ambition for McQueen. “My concept is longevity, like the [Hermès] Kelly bag or Chanel No.5,” he explained. “For me, [the Novak] is a McQueen classic. It has a personality of its own.”
The designer sought to express that personality via the shape, hardware, materials and details — not by splashing his logo across it. “When the Kelly bag was designed, it didn’t have Hermès written all over it,” he said. “Sometimes you have to rely on the design itself, not the name that’s on it.”
The Novak comes in a range of sizes, colors and materials and will retail from about $1,100 for a small leather version to $13,270 for a medium-sized crocodile number. His footwear collection — now manufactured by Sergio Rossi, another Gucci Group property — has been similarly broadened . Jonathan Akeroyd, McQueen’s new chief executive officer, said the goal is to build handbags and footwear to represent about 30 percent of the house’s turnover in three years. At present, the category represents about 15 percent of sales.
To build buzz around his accessories foray, McQueen plans to dispatch Novak bags to 50 key editors and celebrities in June.
McQueen emphasized that he takes a long-term view to the development of his brand, and said that he has no regrets to date. “It’s going at the pace I’ve always wanted,” he said. “It was never about being a flash in the pan.” While the early years of his fashion career were about promoting McQueen’s name via some of the most spectacular fashion shows of modern times, he considers that the business is entering a new phase.
“All there is to do now is please the customer all the time, and deliver on time,” he said. “That’s the secret of a successful brand, but that takes time. And if all else fails, I can always become a nurse.” Then he burst out laughing at his own sally.
here it is...in croco...
The Sac Race: The Alexander Method
By Miles Socha
from wwd...excerpt...
PARIS —
McQueen’s new signature Novak bag — inspired by actress Kim Novak, whose best-known film is Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 “Vertigo” — has an air of lethal chic with its “Alien”-esque anatomy and a look that is at once retro and futuristic. “There is a kind of strength and a bit of aggression in it; it’s almost like a cage,” the designer said in an exclusive interview about the project. “It does strengthen a woman’s appearance.”
And McQueen hopes it will do the same for his business, which is gunning for profitability by 2007, a deadline set by parent Gucci Group . Still, McQueen bristled at the suggestion that his accessories push and fall collection praised for its wearability, were the products of a top-down directive that was* obeyed. “Tell me what to do and I’m likely to do the opposite,” he said. “I just think [the collection] was relevant to today. It was more about the construction and the silhouette than excess detailing.”
Yet developing an identifiable, long-running handbag for the house, as Nicolas Ghesquière did for Balenciaga with his hit Lariat style, is clearly a driving ambition for McQueen. “My concept is longevity, like the [Hermès] Kelly bag or Chanel No.5,” he explained. “For me, [the Novak] is a McQueen classic. It has a personality of its own.”
The designer sought to express that personality via the shape, hardware, materials and details — not by splashing his logo across it. “When the Kelly bag was designed, it didn’t have Hermès written all over it,” he said. “Sometimes you have to rely on the design itself, not the name that’s on it.”
The Novak comes in a range of sizes, colors and materials and will retail from about $1,100 for a small leather version to $13,270 for a medium-sized crocodile number. His footwear collection — now manufactured by Sergio Rossi, another Gucci Group property — has been similarly broadened . Jonathan Akeroyd, McQueen’s new chief executive officer, said the goal is to build handbags and footwear to represent about 30 percent of the house’s turnover in three years. At present, the category represents about 15 percent of sales.
To build buzz around his accessories foray, McQueen plans to dispatch Novak bags to 50 key editors and celebrities in June.
McQueen emphasized that he takes a long-term view to the development of his brand, and said that he has no regrets to date. “It’s going at the pace I’ve always wanted,” he said. “It was never about being a flash in the pan.” While the early years of his fashion career were about promoting McQueen’s name via some of the most spectacular fashion shows of modern times, he considers that the business is entering a new phase.
“All there is to do now is please the customer all the time, and deliver on time,” he said. “That’s the secret of a successful brand, but that takes time. And if all else fails, I can always become a nurse.” Then he burst out laughing at his own sally.
here it is...in croco...
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