German premium brand ESCADA inaugurated last week its mono-brand store in the Romanian ...
read more
Prada opened last week two stand alone stores, marking the official entry on the Moroccan ...
read more
French luxury group PPR, parent company of Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Boucheron has teamed up ...
read more
French luxury maison Chanel announced the opening of its 6th store in Australia, in the ...
read more
Italian luxury group TOD'S which includes the Tod's, Hogan, Fay and Roger Vivier brands, ...
read more
The biggest rally in three years for luxury-goods makers in Europe is fizzling on concern ...
read more
ELIE SAAB OPENS HIS FIRST FLAGSHIP STORE IN THE GULF REGION
09 June 2010
ELIE SAAB is opening its first flagship store in the Gulf Region in Dubai’s prestigious Dubai Mall. The new flagship store located at the Luxury Circle in Fashion Avenue will reinforce the brand's presence in the United Arab Emirates making it more accessible to the region’s local and International shoppers, showcasing day and eveningwear dresses, shoes, bags and ... read more
VERSACE reports losses of EUR 50 million
08 June 2010
Gianni Versace SpA announced this week its consolidated financial results for 2009, which indicate a strong decrease in its turnover of up to 50 million compared to 2008. The net operational profit recorded a loss of EUR 2,4 million in 2009 compared with the previous year.
The group blames the negative results on the decrease in licencing revenues especially from Ittierre Group currently under ... read more
Russia's luxury market shows signs of recovery, yet some sectors remain in difficulty
04 June 2010
According to reports and interviews published by Russian business media, sales of key luxury industry players have been showing signs of improvement in the past three months. Particularly, Bentley and Ferrari are the top performers of the auto sector with a 50% year on year increase in sales. Sales of watches increased by ... read more
MONTBLANC opens highstreet monobrand boutique in Bucharest (Romania)
04 June 2010
MONTBLANC opens this month its first full concept monobrand boutique in Bucharest, Romania. The boutique is situated on main highstreet Calea Victoriei and covers 80 sqm. It is the third monobrand boutique in the Romanian capital, the previous two locations being of smaller surfaces, also operating downtown. This openings reflects the growing potential of the Romanian market, Calea Victoriei ... read more
PR nightmare continues for GUCCI with Elisabetta Gucci announcing more hotels
03 June 2010
LUXURY hotelier Elisabetta Gucci is planning 40 hotels over the next 15 years in the Middle East, Far East and South America and aims to open its first hotel in Dubai at the end of 2010, an executive said.
Partner Lorens Ziller at Elisabetta Gucci Hotels & Resorts told the Reuters Global Luxury Summit the construction of the 87-room luxury boutique hotel is completed, with the firm eyeing a second ... read more
CLARIDGE'S reinvents itself
02 June 2010
The famous Art Deco jewel of Mayfair, CLARIDGE’S HOTEL, is undergoing an extensive rebranding process. A serious overhaul has been done for the landmark hotel, starting from its crest and logo, which have been redrawn. Due to the fact that the hotel has an impressive number of branded items (everything from tea pots to slippers and dressing gowns), the London design studio CONSTRUCT, which ... read more
VALENTINO has daring recovery plans
02 June 2010
Legendary Italian fashion brand VALENTINO has daring plans for growth and reinvention. The CEO of the company and its owners wish to see the brand, which has been rather crippled after parting with its designer and founder Valentino Garavani, catch up with its primary adversaries and pursue worldwide expansion.
When asked whether one of the co-owners, equity fund PERMIRA, is looking for buyers for the ... read more
SHANGRI LA, first luxury hotel to open in Himalaya
02 June 2010
Shangri-La announces it will own and operate a new hotel in 2012 in Lhasa, a city set on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, the highest region on earth. The 350-room luxury urban resort, owned and operated by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, will rest amongst the tallest peaks in the world: a striking mountain landscape of glaciers, valleys and lakes considered sacred by many. The hotel ... read more
Owner of LA RINASCENTE tops list of potential buyers for IT Holding (Gianfranco Ferre, Malo)
02 June 2010
A consortium of financial institutions led by Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Pioneer have already subscribed bonds of EUR 180 million for the sale of ailing Italian fashion group IT Holding which owns Gianfranco Ferre, Malo and produces under licensing Galliano, Just Cavalli etc. One of the runner ups in the race to acquire is the owner of LA RINASCENTE department stores Maurizio Borletti. ... read more
RICHEMONT Group acquires NET A PORTER
02 June 2010
Richemont Group announced today it acquired NET-A PORTER Limited and will hold an effective economic interest of more than 93 per cent in the issued ordinary capital of NET-A PORTER. British media reports that the value of the transaction exceeds GBP 350 million.
NET-A-PORTER Limited owns NET-A-PORTER.COM, the premier online luxury fashion retailer. ... read more
D&G open first store in Azerbaijan
31 May 2010
Dolce Gabbana open this week their first monobrand store for the D&G line in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The store which is operated in franchising with a local partner covers a surface of 300 sqm with 5 large street windows. This is the first D&G store to be designed with the new concept developed together with architecture firm BAM Design. ... read more
VILEBREQUIN opens boutique in Bucharest (Romania)
31 May 2010
French luxury brand VILEBREQUIN, which specialized in swimwear opens this week its first monobrand boutique in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. The 60 sqm monobrand boutique which is located within the shopping gallery of the JW MARRIOTT Hotel is operated under franchising by Bulgarian company VAS RESERVE which also operates the franchise of Vilebrequin for Bulgaria with two ... read more
DIRK BIKKEMBERGS designs the uniforms of Slovenia's National Football team
29 May 2010
Designer Dirk Bikkembergs has recently agreed to sponsor the Slovene National Football team, providing footballers with a full set of attires. The designer personally attended a photo shoot which took place North of Italy on the stadium of a small village.
DIRK BIKKERMBERGS is exclusively distributed in Slovenia by SPORTINA GROUP, the largest fashion retail company in the region. The Bikkembergs ... read more
RICHEMONT GROUP releases improving financial results
27 May 2010
Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group, released today its audited results for the year that ended on March 31st 2010. According to the press release, the group’s overall sales have declined by 4% and are at a value of €5176 million and its gross profit has dropped by 7% to €3191 million for 2010. However, the cash flow from the operations has grown considerably with ... read more
VUITTON sanctioned over misleading advertising on manufacturing
27 May 2010
British Advertising regulatory authority sanctioned LOUIS VUITTON for allegedly misleading consumers with its recent advertising campaigns depicting artisans which manufacture its products. The authority has banned the two ads which were suggesting that its products are entirely made by hand by its artisans. The Bristish authority did not argue that Vuitton might use hand made ... read more
HERMES replaces Jean Paul Gaultier as creative director
27 May 2010
Following constant criticism by both medias and customers, it seems HERMES has eventually realized it was about time to change the creative direction of its ready to wear collections signed by Jean Paul Gaultier. Hermes's ready to wear business has been underperforming for years, especially on the women's segment, unlike its leather products which have been defying the current crisis, showing ... read more
ARMANI CASA to design luxury residential complex in Istanbul
27 May 2010
Maçka Residences has invested around US $ 300 million dollars for one of the most exclusive residential schemes in the world: three towers with a total area of 7,000 square metres in Maçka, a district in the heart of Istanbul, with a privileged location including breathtaking views of the Bosphorus, the Princes’ Islands and Seraglio Point.
Armani/Casa ... read more
LOUIS VUITTON opens its first London Maison
26 May 2010
It appears that legendary French luxury brand Louis Vuitton has recovered pretty well from the crisis and is continuing its expansion path. The chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, Mr. Yves Carcelle attended yesterday the opening of their first London Maison, a conceptualized retail flagship, at the junction of New Bond and Clifford Streets. The absolutely extravagant store which is spread ... read more
BURBERRY profits exceed expectations and accelerate expansion
26 May 2010
BURBERRY announced this week exceptional financial results with sales exceeding expectations. The British group also confirmed its plans to step up expansion, with a focus on emerging markets, e-commerce and menswear. Burberry would almost double capital spending to GBP 130 million (USD186 million) in its 2010-11 financial year, despite an uncertain economic ... read more
Fake Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Louboutin shoes openly sold in Malls (Bucharest - Romania)
25 May 2010
Romanian daily newspaper Cancan reports in today's edition on the sale of fake YSL and Louboutin shoes openly sold in a multibrand shoes store within prominent Bucharest mall of PLAZA ROMANIA. The ''Via Roma'' store sells fake versions for up to EUR 110/ pair, which copy the latest designs of the two brands. The copies which probably originate from Turkey, carry the ... read more