Vionnet label to be relaunched

[Lena]

i think the old thread should come first softie.. it gives the whole 'story' if you agree of course

 

[softgrey]

ok...i merged them...how'd i do?...

 

[faust]

Originally posted by softgrey@Dec 10 2004, 05:05 PM
ok...i merged them...how'd i do?...

[snapback]460489[/snapback]​

splendid

 

[softgrey]

LOL...thanks...

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by faust@Dec 10 2004, 11:06 PM
splendid

[snapback]460491[/snapback]​

more than splendid

 

[softgrey]

woohoo!!!...

 

[DA070709]

WGSN Report: Vionnet to relaunch

The catwalks for spring/summer 2005 were awash with the enduring influence of Madeleine Vionnet - the influential inter-war designer credited with inventing bias cutting. The classic elegance of her graceful structure and textural draping, from architectural twists and adornment to feminine body-conscious folds, was being shown by everyone from Yohji Yamamoto to Chloé.



Since the eve of World War II when Vionnet shut her doors, the house has remained dormant. After her death in 1975, LVMH tried to buy her name but was refused. It was finally sold to Guy de Lummen in 1988 with the launch of a discreet line of scarves, handbags, watches, and a perfume.



For years now the De Lummen family has been looking for the right financial partner and designer to lead the house of Vionnet to a Louis Vuitton or Gucci-style rebirth. But recent activity on the Place Vendôme, where the Vionnet shop sits, hints that the house is set for a resurrection.

Originally Majed al Sabah, the Prince behind the Kuwaiti luxury mall, Villa Moda, was in negotiations with Vionnet's owners to financially back the project.

"It's tricky setting up a financial partnership between a fashion house and a retailer, so eventually negotiations with al Sabah fell through. But since December 2004 we are on the way to find the right financial partner, allowing us to keep full control," says Arnaud de Lummen the Development Manager at Vionnet and son of the owner. "We have agreed on a designer and are currently finalising the last details. We should be able to announce a creative director during Paris Fashion Week in March, with an eventual collection debuting in October 2005."

The intention is to develop a prêt-a-porter collection with a couture edge that would be distributed through a selection of 12 luxury department and specialty stores. The showroom would be moved back to its root on the Avenue Montaigne with a possible flagship store not opening before 2006.

In her heyday, Vionnet dressed everyone, from the Duchess of Windsor and European nobility to Hollywood stars like Katherine Hepburn, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Marlene Dietrich. A contemporary of Poiret, Chanel, and Schiaparelli, she was considered a genius with the cut, and one of the first to abolish the corset in favour of the unencumbered and unrestricted natural body.

"The dress must not hang on the body but follow its lines. It must accompany its wearer and when a woman smiles the dress should smile with her," she famously said. With her modern theories of dress, Vionnet was poised at the dawn of 20th century women's clothing. In the 30s her mighty couture house at 50 Avenue Montaigne in Paris (currently a Jil Sander boutique) had 1,200 seamstresses - most couture houses today have a tenth of that.

Vionnet was one of the first masters of innovative dress. Her classical draping was featured at the Goddess exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which drew a heavy dusting of the glitterati. Nicole Kidman and her dressmaker, Tom Ford was there - along with the fashion and art world and New York high society.

Olivier Theyskens, Zac Posen, Nicolas Ghesquiere, and Sophia Kokosalaki are the names short-listed by de Lummen as potential successors to the Vionnet throne. "We wanted someone young and innovative who could be faithful to Vionnet's spirit of avant-garde innovation and move the house forward, not create a retrospective, " reflects de Lummen.

"We are in a strong position to make our choice between these four - it's really just a question of finding the right fit." It won't be an easy act to follow considering the chosen designer will be coming after the Grande Dame herself.

Touted as one of the up and coming new American designers, the 24-year-old Zac Posen now has several successful seasons under his eponymous label. Some critics have credited his success to hype, but on closer inspection his designs exhibit surprisingly sophisticated technical details.

Though he attended two years at Central Saint Martins, he attributes much of his technical knowledge from the years he spent as an intern in the library of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art examining and studying the extensive collection of original Vionnet.

The Greek born, London-based Sophia Kokosalaki who also designs under her own label began showing in Paris last season. Her spring 2005 collection had a definite Vionnet allure in its femininely complex twists, folds, and draping. But the influence doesn't begin or end there.

Kokosalaki is one of the few designers today who works like Vionnet, draping a wooden doll with fabric rather than sketching a two-dimensional design. "I like Vionnet for her technical genius, for her inventiveness, boldness and nonconformity," she says.

However, neither Posen nor Kokosalaki have been formally approached. And with March fast upon us, it would indicate that Nicolas Ghesquiere from Balenciaga and Olivier Theyskens from Rochas are the main contenders.

Since Nicolas Ghesquiere quietly took the helm at Balenciaga in 1997, his influence in the fashion world has grown to levels more established designers could only dream about. In reinventing Balenciaga, his approach has been to reference moods, feelings, and images in the abstract sense and apply them to his design rather than directly mine looks from the archives. In turn, he has created something entirely fresh and new.

However, his appeal remains niche for consumers who consider themselves in the know and his profile in the fashion industry often outstrips business. The uncertainty surrounding the Gucci Group's financial commitment to Balenciaga has created rumour that Ghesquiere could be ready to 'house jump'.

Then there is Olivier Theyskens who exploded onto the fashion scene in 1998 when Madonna wore one of his extravagant coats to the Oscars. In 2002 the precocious Belgian was named to the moribund fashion house, Rochas, to give it an opulent fresh coat of paint. His feminine vision and contemporary approach to luxury has since attracted many admirers in the industry, including de Lummen.

"Any designer that takes on the Vionnet name will have to work with who Vionnet really was, not the fantasy, and move forward," says Pamela Golbin, curator at the Musée de la Mode et du Textile in Paris.

"Vionnet was an extremist in her purity of design," says Golbin. "She was a structural designer and if you were to continue in her legacy it would lead you to Cristobal Balenciaga and most recently to the structurally conceptual Belgian designers. But the recent construction and deconstruction movement in fashion - which first started with the Japanese and continued with the Belgians - has come and gone. "

In the meantime, this March the Vionnet Foundation, which houses much of the Vionnet archival legacy and is presided over by Hubert de Givenchy, will be hosting a tribute fashion show to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Vionnet's death. "It wasn't our intention to have the two events happen simultaneously - both the relaunching of the Vionnet house and this tribute fashion show are projects that have been years in the planning - it just happened they have come to fruition at the same time," says de Lummen.



Azzedine Alaia, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Sophia Kokosalaki, Stella McCartney, Issey Miyake, Zac Posen, Dries Van Noten, Narcisco Rodriguez, and Olivier Theyskens are among the 20 or so designers that will participate with their own Vionnet-inspired designs.

With all this activity the big question remains, is it possible to restore lost glory to a name that has been forgotten by the public and absent from the fashion scene for over half a century? For the answer we need to look no further than dusty French fashion houses like Worth and Rochas. Both are names from a glorious forgotten past, which have successfully reinvented themselves.

The revival of the 19th century house of Worth as a deluxe corsetry and lingerie brand was the brainchild of Mounir Moufarrige, the fashion entrepreneur who hired Stella McCartney to revive the Chloé label. And despite the odds, the move is a success.

Meanwhile Rochas, which was bought by Wella mainly for its perfume business, has successfully launched prêt-a-porter under Theyskens, with the recent addition of accessories.



Strategically, having a name with a past has its advantages. In an age where consumers are less interested in empty branding, the real depth of history and mystique that surrounds the Vionnet name is its asset. Hopefully, the virtuosity and spirit of innovation that defined the house of Vionnet can be translated along with it.

 

[eugenius]

I think its funny to read this thread from the very beginning, like, back in '04, and re-read all this talk of who's taking over @ Givenchy (pre-Tisci) and how Pecoraro was slated to re-launch Vionnet..

My, how times are a-changing..

 

[shopsmuch]

so...how did this all pan out? is the house of vionnet no longer being relaunched?

 

[DA070709]

WWD, March 2, 2006 - Fashion Scoop - Revival Game

REVIVAL GAME: Sophia Kokosalaki, who showed her latest collection on Wednesday, may have two fashion shows come next season, the second being Madeleine Vionnet. Arnaud de Lummen, Vionnet's chief executive, said the relaunch of the storied French brand is imminent. "We're in the final stages of securing retail partnerships," said De Lummen, adding that around two "exclusive" luxury stores would be selected to carry the collection. The line will be presented either in London, Paris or New York.

 

[DA070709]

Two Vionnet gowns designed by Sophia Kokosalaki for the Spring 2007 collection are featured in the December's issue of Vogue US

 

[gius]

Did this label die?

I saw it on style.com
the last collection, Fall 2007
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/powersearch?designer=design_house1335

I don't really feel the old Madeleine in the designs..

 

[La bordélique]

Marc Audibet designs for the Madeleine Vionnet house now. I remember reading that their collections were shown during couture week and by appointment only.

I have no idea what it looks like today... I like Sophia Kokosalaki, but I felt that her designs looked a bit too safe when she designed for Vionnet. I think she would be a much better fit for Grès.

 

[Jamess]

Marc Audibet designs for the Madeleine Vionnet house now. I remember reading that their collections were shown during couture week and by appointment only.

I have no idea what it looks like today... I like Sophia Kokosalaki, but I felt that her designs looked a bit too safe when she designed for Vionnet. I think she would be a much better fit for Grès.

Im sure I read on Cathy Horyn's blog that Marc Audibet quit Vionnet after financial problems with Vionnet's owners. I think he only did one collection and quit when the dresses reached the stores. Is he back there now ???
I agree with you about Sophia, I like her too but none of her work for Vionnet really stood out or lived up to the name.

Would be interested to find out what Audibet is currently doing if not working for Vionnet ???

 

[Spike413]

Marc Audibet designs for the Madeleine Vionnet house now. I remember reading that their collections were shown during couture week and by appointment only.

I have no idea what it looks like today... I like Sophia Kokosalaki, but I felt that her designs looked a bit too safe when she designed for Vionnet. I think she would be a much better fit for Grès.

I remember I thought the same when she was first appointed at Vionnet.

I don't actually know who's there now, since it kind of fell off the radar after Sophia left, but imo Rick Owens would be just the person to revive this house.

 

[La bordélique]

Jamess, you're right, I just did a little research and read about Audibet quitting Vionnet after only one season!

 

[skot4mc]

from businessoffashion.net

24 February, 2009 by Imran Amed, Editor
BoF Exclusive | A New Chapter for Vionnet

PARIS, France —Today, WWD and the International Herald Tribune will announce the acquisition of Vionnet by Matteo Marzotto, scion of the Italian fashion dynasty. The move had been widely speculated upon in fashion circles in recent days, and according to sources, Marzotto is not the only Italian fashion magnate who’s in on the deal. Giovanni Castiglioni, husband of celebrated MARNI designer Consuela Castiglioni and CEO of her brand, is also said to be in the picture, both operationally and financially.

To add to the intrigue, the next question of who would form the final piece of the Italian triumvirate has apparently already been answered. The new Vionnet designer is rumoured to be the little-known Italian, Rodolfo Paglialunga[FONT=Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial], [/FONT]a former assistant to Miuccia Prada for the ready-to-wear collection at her eponymous label.

Last night, I got the seller’s side of the story. I spoke to Arnaud de Lummen, the outgoing CEO and former primary shareholder in Vionnet, a brand which has been in his family for over twenty years. In an exclusive, in-depth conversation closing, in his own way, this chapter of the Vionnet story, de Lummen showed as much passion for the Vionnet brand as he did when I first met him in October 2007.

At the time, de Lummen described a seemingly impossible task. He aimed to resurrect a brand which had been dormant for more than 60 years, but which at the time of its demise was “at the heart of its artistic peak.” It did not end because it was creatively exhausted, he said, rather because it was a bit of fashion collateral damage from the second world war.

Since then, Vionnet’s bias-cutting techniques have been used by countless designers including John Galliano and Azzedine Alaia. Most recently, design prodigy Jason Wu, better known as the designer of “that dress” worn by Michelle Obama on inauguration night, referenced Vionnet in an interview with Eric Wilson of The New York Times.

With this kind of reverence in the industry, de Lummen draws a line between other recent brand revivals like Halston and Rochas, and that of Vionnet. He maintains that Vionnet was, and still is, different because over the years those other brands were kept on a form of life-support, through ongoing licensing activities between various attempted revivals. Vionnet, he said, had completely disappeared from the map, except to the most fashion-initiated. Only a very limited amount of high-end fragrances and accessories were produced under the Vionnet brand by his father, after he purchased it in 1988.

Stating a desire to set the record straight, De Lummen also spoke of the two celebrated designers, Sophia Kokosalaki and Marc Audibet, who he chose to head Vionnet, one after the other. The first, Kokosalaki, showed her debut collection in an intimate presentation setting and was supported by Julie Gilhart at Barneys from the start. But the low-key nature of the launch presentation did not translate well in the press, who while impressed, largely failed to pick up on the story of the new Vionnet, a point that de Lummen himself acknowledged.

Then when Kokosalaki’s business was purchased by Renzo Rosso’s Staff International, a friction was created between the time Kokosalaki would be able to spend on Vionnet when balanced against the increasing commitments for her own label, including more collections to design and more investor meetings to attend. According to Mr. de Lummen, “it made no sense to continue our partnership with her when her attentions would clearly be elsewhere. We needed a full-time designer.” But this upset the retailers who had bought the collection due to its link with Kokosalaki, who at the time was ascendant on the Paris fashion scene.

Enter Marc Audibet, another former assistant at Prada, who was very highly-respected amongst fashion industry insiders. De Lummen says Audibet’s one and only collection for Vionnet was one of technical mastery, “the closest to Vionnet herself” with a sort-of “fluid architecture.” But while intellectually and technically brilliant, the limited resources to present the collection and the perceived fissure after Kokosalaki’s separation from Vionnet held the brand back.

And to make matters worse, having grown up at Prada, Mr. Audibet was accustomed to a more elaborate set-up than the one offered by the entreprenurial de Lummen. And, Audibet reportedly felt that he deserved a richer financial package. In a sudden twist, Mr Audibet announced his resignation from Vionnet in a statement to the press, attributing his departure to management’s “incapacity” to create the “material and financial conditions” necessary to re-launch Vionnet properly. According to de Lummen, this destabilised ongoing discussions with a new set of investors.

Who would want to invest in a label where the perceived star designer had just left?

In the end, de Lummen seems to have realised that this wasn’t his story to finish. However, he says, this chapter was a necessary part of the Vionnet revival which will continue to play out in the years to come. Upon the closure of his deal with Marzotto, de Lummen no longer has any financial or operational involvement in Vionnet. In the next 6 months, he expects to announce his next brand revival project, where he will make the best of the “learning experience” from Vionnet.

As for Mr Marzotto, you can be sure we will be hearing from him soon. After master-minding a behind-the-scenes coup to sell Valentino to the Permira Group after a tussle with another private equity powerhouse, the Carlyle Group, Marzotto resigned from Valentino. It seems he has been cooking up this Vionnet deal ever since.

For a man of his stature and success in the industry to relaunch Vionnet in the midst of an economic downturn speaks volumes about the special place this brand holds within the fashion industry. In the minds of designers at least, the brand is virtually untarnished. When asked who they respect the most in fashion history, the name of Madame Vionnet comes up over and over again. Mr. Paglialunga has landed many designers’ dream job.

De Lummen wished Marzotto the best of luck, saying he wanted nothing but for the brand to be successful. He also noted that Marzotto’s success may prove that his own slow-but-steady strategy for the relaunch of Vionnet, which brought this exquisite brand to lukewarm from completely frozen, was the right decision all along.

Now it’s up to Mr. Marzotto to bring it to a full-on boil.
Imran Amed is Editor of The Business of Fashion.