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The designer Alexander McQueen in his London studio. Mr. McQueen has turned down a job at Yves Saint Laurent.
By CATHY HORYN
Published: March 2, 2004
LONDON — In early December, Serge Weinberg, the chief executive of the French retail group Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, crossed the English Channel to meet with the British design maverick Alexander McQueen.
Following the collapse of contract talks with Tom Ford and Domenico de Sole, the pair who built Gucci into a multibrand luxury group with acquisitions like the McQueen label, Mr. Weinberg had become one of the most important figures in fashion. It was Mr. Weinberg who had to prove that Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent could survive without the talents of Mr. Ford. And since the future of Mr. McQueen's struggling business also rested in the French executive's hands, the designer had an interest, presumably, in making a good impression.
It might be helpful, at this stage, to mention a few things about Mr. McQueen, who is 34. Not only is he the most talented designer of his generation — the person Pinault-Printemps-Redoute hoped to put at Saint Laurent, according to a senior executive — he is also from London's East End. He still speaks with a thick cockney accent, though he is a millionaire and has a country home in Sussex. Mr. McQueen's publicist, Amie Witton, told of when Lord Snowden phoned him recently to discuss what he might wear for a portrait. Mr. McQueen replied, "Something phfuggish." Lord Snowden didn't understand. "He said, `Something foggish?' " Ms. Witton recalled. But that was just Mr. McQueen's way of putting on Lord Snowden. He meant "thuggish."
He has described Cherie Blair, the wife of the British prime minister, as "cheesy," and as for why he declined an invitation from the queen to meet the emperor of Japan, he said, "I just couldn't be bothered." When François-Henri Pinault, the son of P.P.R.'s founder, came to London this winter, the two got along well, Mr. McQueen said. But Mr. McQueen doesn't address the Pinault heir as "Monsieur" or even as "François-Henri." He calls him Henry.
Predictably, then, the meeting with Mr. Weinberg might not be an occasion to impress. Indeed, Mr. McQueen did not show up. "It was very wily of me," he said, cocking his head with a giggle, "but I wasn't in the mood to meet him. I wasn't in the frame of mind to get on the train or fly over to Paris, and when he came here, I still didn't meet with him. I just had a panic attack, I think."
"He was in bed," said his friend Isabella Blow, the fashion editor of Tatler, adding that she did not know why he had stood up the chief executive. "It could have been fear." He formally turned down the offer of the job at Saint Laurent not long afterward.
With P.P.R. set to release quarterly results on Thursday — and Mr. Ford bowing out from Saint Laurent on Sunday — Mr. Weinberg is certain to be asked by analysts when he and Mr. Pinault will name successors, or if their search is still ongoing. Neither have commented publicly, though it now seems likely that P.P.R. will attempt to elevate unknown talents from within both houses, notably Stefano Pilati, an assistant at YSL, to head that label.
Fashion insiders are generally pessimistic about a no-name strategy. "It's not the formula for success that we've known," said Julie Gilhart, the fashion director of Barneys. "These brands could be done without a star, but I'm not sure it would work."
Simon Irwin, a retail analyst at BNP Paribas bank in London, said he expects P.P.R. to make an internal promotion, at least at Gucci, which has a stronger brand identity. "It's risky," he said, "but it also removes risk — the risk of staff defections if an outsider comes in." He added, "Whenever you promote from within, you're pretty well guaranteed of loyalty, and that means a lot to Serge." What concerns Mr. Irwin, though, is the possibility that P.P.R. may also choose an unknown for Mr. de Sole's job. One potential successor is Indra K. Nooyi, the chief financial officer of PepsiCo, though she denies she is a candidate.
"Three unknowns, however well-qualified, is a tough sale," Mr. Irwin said.
Although Mr. McQueen said he wanted to design Saint Laurent and was prepared to sign a contract as recently as a few weeks ago, he came to the conclusion that it would be a mistake. "Do you believe," he asked a reporter, "that another designer could do the Saint Laurent job and do it with the same feeling and integrity that he did it with?" He was referring to Mr. Saint Laurent, who retired two years ago.
It was pointed out that Karl Lagerfeld had remade Chanel.
"But look at Karl's own label," Mr. McQueen said. "This was the great standard I used to think about taking the job. Lagerfeld didn't work and Chanel did. And this is what it takes for Saint Laurent. Something would have to give." He added: "I am such a fan of Saint Laurent that my heart would break if I damaged that house. It was a major decision not to take that job. I wanted to do it so badly."
Mr. McQueen conveyed the news to Mr. Pinault. "Henry was fantastic," he said. "He completely respected my decision. We also discussed my doing the job in the future. Once I get McQueen to a level where I'm comfortable, then I would certainly think about Saint Laurent. But I need to be doing McQueen with my eyes shut."
Friends say that Mr. McQueen worried about becoming mired at Saint Laurent as P.P.R. attempts to grapple with the brand's image in the post-Ford era and that Mr. de Sole and others had cautioned him to think hard about accepting such a burden. Mr. McQueen has also maintained, almost belligerently, that his heart belongs not in Paris but in London, not in another man's house but in his own.
"I don't know, he just kept talking about the jet the whole time," Ms. Blow recalled of their discussions. "So I imagine he thought he'd fly to Paris and then back to London, where he came from." She laughed. "Maybe he can't leave the East End. Or maybe he can but not for too long."
Depending on how P.P.R. executives handle Mr. McQueen — and they seem to recognize his talent — he has the potential to be the next breakthrough designer. "My sense is that P.P.R. wants to focus on Saint Laurent," said a Gucci executive. "But if they're smart they'll focus on Gucci, which is where the money is, and McQueen, because he can be exploded." Certainly after last season's landmark show, which explored the fragile line between security and destitution as depicted in Sydney Pollack's dance-marathon film, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Mr. McQueen appears ready to take off.
Gucci has given structure to Mr. McQueen's modest business, which has sales of about $30 million. But Mr. McQueen has given fashion something harder to quantify. He admits he has trouble getting his head around the idea of accessories, which he knows he must do to make money. But, he said, "Do I really want to see Paris Hilton carrying a McQueen bag?" Ditto.
He thought for a moment. "I think what all designers aim for is coming up with the 501," he said, referring to the Levi's style. "We're always trying to do that. And you've just got to keep on striving until one day you're waking up, having your marmalade on toast, doodling on a cigarette package — and, bingo, you bought an uncle. It's just that one thing. Today, people translate the Dior saddlebag or the Gucci horsebit as the 501. And it's not. It doesn't change the way you think about clothing."
