Designers Switching Houses & Moving to New Brands

[HigthaVandah]

+Mugler and Balmain, allegedly

I've already seen speculation that Hedi's going to Balmain when he does design again. Don't worry, it's just speculation and not an industry rumor.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

To me a big part of the problem is that Fashion and Luxury have become obsessed with money.
Not a single one of the artists we love, from Vionnet to Lacroix, went into Fashion to make lots of money. Money was a mean to sustain your project, but not the finality.
Jacques Fath wasn't obsessed with money. He was obsessed with a certain idea of a woman and with doing the most astonishing gown you've ever seen.

Now, most of the houses that after all we love, are in the Stock Exchange.
If their yearly growth is under two digits, drama. You are a loser.
But if the collections are bad, nobody cares (as long as they sell).

The fact that they only owe economical explanations (the reports to the shareholders) speaks volumes about what part play creativity, integrity and excellence in this industry.

 

[perhydrol]

I've already seen speculation that Hedi's going to Balmain when he does design again. Don't worry, it's just speculation and not an industry rumor.

Well, I'm not talking about Hedi here.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

Maybe Hedi is going nowhere.
In two or three years he will be 60 and I see him more in the lineage of a Margiela or Helmut Lang (discreetly retiring in order to pursue other artistic interests) than dying on stage à la Lagerfeld.

 

[QuantumCouture]

Clearly considering current numbers, what they've decided so far hasn't proven to be the right way.

If it all crumbles, perhaps we'll see a new wave of CEOs that have creative backgrounds and it'll get exciting again? We shall see.

What brands need to do is turn their fashion into a statement: something that is carefully thought out, meticulously executed, and honest to its very core. That, and that alone, can make them successful for years to come. Even if some collections are, well, blunders, true style will eat quarterly revenue growth for breakfast.