Cara (Delevingne) has been taking the world of luxury fashion by storm in the past 2 years -first, as Lagerfeld’s muse at CHANEL, then: Mulberry, DKNY, Burberry, La Perla etc. Pharrell Williams huge Grammy success ”Happy” catapulted him to luxury stardom, from Vivienne Westwood, Dover Street Market to, more recently, Moynat, one of the most niche and exclusive luxury labels of the LVMH stable.
However, beyond the HUGE followings on all social media, do any of them help sell? Even Chanel chose Gisele Bundchen (not Cara) for NO. 5, the world’s best selling fragrance. DNKY and Mulberry are in ”stand-by” mode of ”recovery” or better to say ”revival”, while, ailing La Perla, despite its recent record number of new store openings, has yet to rediscover its DNA (fashion versus lingerie, lingerie versus underwear, lingerie versus accessories etc.)
Cara is probably making a tiny contribution to Burberry’s sales because of her ”erotic” association with timeless super-model and icon, Kate Moss, in the latest Burberry fragrance ad campaign.
But what about Pharrell? Will his Comme des Garcons fragrance make Dover Street Market owners happy? Or will Moynat see a waiting list at its Rue St Honore store in Paris? (not to confuse with Rue Faubourg St Honore, home to Hermes). Then, it must be adidas‘ witty product placement in all Moynat PR, Pharrell wearing his limited edition capsule for adidas originals!
I also wonder whether ageless designer Vivienne Westwood‘s annual turnover (if there is such a figure available) saw a major boost by the sales of the hat which it designed for Pharrell for his Grammy appearance? (I would bet many fast fashion labels made millions with $10 ”copies” of the same hat). Why wouldn’t she run a campaign with Pharrell?!?
And yet, I wonder, will Karl Lagerfeld’s latest ad for OPEL Corsa (a mass market car) be more productive than his ad for VW last year? I leave it up to you to decide between his countless ”collaborations” to pin point the only one that has always been hugely profitable, with or without Lagerfeld. Hint: Hedi Slimane, Saint Laurent: ”I have no involvement Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium fragrance
Then, why spend millions on Cara, especially in the case of struggling Mulberry which has seen a second consecutive quarter of disaster sales and repeated profit warnings? Or maybe they spent less?
Oliver Petcu in London
UPDATED
Cara Delevingne and Pharrell Williams will release the musical collaboration that they’ve been working on for the duration of 2014. Sources told the Sun “they’re going to release the song without warning, complete with video and global launch.They seem to have formed a great little writing collective and apparently it’s a huge song”. Delevingne is still modelling. DAZED
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