Designers Switching Houses & Moving to New Brands

[tatouejeremie]

They had a great potential with the cute couple from Coperni. As usual, the suits ruined everything...
They had a great strategy and good products at decent prices AND a great buzz! They just needed time...
Look at Paco Rabanne nowadays...I’m very impressed with what has been done there. An almost niche business that is doing good financially (from what I’ve heard) and that can exist on his own without being like a black stain for the highly lucrative perfume business...

i think the people who were in control when the coperni guys were there were extremely unqualified, they left and everything seemed to be in place for courreges to succeed (with kering's investment arm owning the brand).
i just think Zobel was unqualified, with the mess of a CV she has this was to be expected.
but what i don't get is why the CEO that hired her in the first place gets to stay?
they're allowed to make mistake after mistake yet it's always the creative directors that get ousted from these companies.

 

[donyan]

They had a great potential with the cute couple from Coperni. As usual, the suits ruined everything...
They had a great strategy and good products at decent prices AND a great buzz! They just needed time...
Look at Paco Rabanne nowadays...I’m very impressed with what has been done there. An almost niche business that is doing good financially (from what I’ve heard) and that can exist on his own without being like a black stain for the highly lucrative perfume business...

to be honest I couldn’t name one thing that they did anymore now . It was too nondescript, just more product with a Logo. I never bought anything , and not one collection has stayed in my mind as being special or at least noteworthy. It’s obvious that to make a brand work today you need a strong and clear vision, not sure they had one .

 

[bc collector]

to be honest I couldn’t name one thing that they did anymore now

I am not sure whether the problem lays in the designers as much as the brand itself: Courreges is indelibly linked to an idea of futuristic clothing that, in hindsight, looks irretrievably dated, when not naive. Just because it used to be a famous fashion house in the sixties does not mean it has to be still relevant today - a point that many CEO's should bear in mind when trying desperately to revive a heritage house.

 

[Lola701]

to be honest I couldn’t name one thing that they did anymore now . It was too nondescript, just more product with a Logo. I never bought anything , and not one collection has stayed in my mind as being special or at least noteworthy. It’s obvious that to make a brand work today you need a strong and clear vision, not sure they had one .

But their approach for Courreges was actually right. It was just simple clothes for a cool girl (even if I hate the word). It had an online appeal and a very commercial focus...The goal was to push Courreges first not the designers...

And Courreges is not an easy name to deal with. It should have been closed IMO but when you decide to keep it alive, you have to be very realistic about what it represents.
Courreges cannot be luxury and the heritage has been dated since the late 60’s. Unlike a lot of 60’s fashion, Courreges is quite difficult to adapt to today...Yes, Prada can copy a design and build an entire collection around it but the name Courreges doesn’t have the same impact.

At this point, they should just close it maybe.

 

[donyan]

But their approach for Courreges was actually right. It was just simple clothes for a cool girl (even if I hate the word). It had an online appeal and a very commercial focus...The goal was to push Courreges first not the designers...

And Courreges is not an easy name to deal with. It should have been closed IMO but when you decide to keep it alive, you have to be very realistic about what it represents.
Courreges cannot be luxury and the heritage has been dated since the late 60’s. Unlike a lot of 60’s fashion, Courreges is quite difficult to adapt to today...Yes, Prada can copy a design and build an entire collection around it but the name Courreges doesn’t have the same impact.

At this point, they should just close it maybe.

I agree it cannot be luxury , but it never really was. It was about modernity, the street, sportswear, unisex, sharpness, techno fabrics , all things that are relevant right now. Instead of trying to be modern in a 60s kind of way , just ask yourself what these modern, forward looking, strong , style-conscious women would wear today ? Who is today’s equivalent of the woman that wore Courrèges in the 60s? In my mind she’s certainly more sharp and decided and courageous in her choices than what the Coperni guys proposed. It would also need to fit into what’s already being done at Kering : not the whimsical jumble of Gucci , not the conceptual normcore of Balenciaga or the glacial minimalism at Bottega Veneta. I think one of the problems with the last DA was that it was all of these things , albeit less clear and to the point , a mish mash of everything that’s ‘ right now ‘ , but there was no reason to buy seeing as all of that existed already at the aforementioned brands, in a much more original and focussed way .

 

[perhydrol]

Azzaro Couture:

Out: Maxime Simoens
In: Olivier Theyskens

 

[dodencebt]

Azzaro Couture:

Out: Maxime Simoens
In: Olivier Theyskens

Oh my God this is so exciting! I thought he never wanted to go to a heritage brand again, but I’m sure he needs the money to invest in his namesake brand. Plus, who knows, he might just make Azzaro more relevant in the decade.

 

[RedSmokeRise]

This is amazing! Good for him

 

[dior_couture1245]

Great news!

Especially knowing he’ll be handling RTW AND Couture.

Azzaro certainly wouldn’t have been my first thought when pairing up with Olivier, but we’ll see. Olivier has good taste and I imagine he’ll be able to filter the sort of 60’s/70’s glamour of the house through his POV and come up with something grand...not in a way dissimilar to his final Ricci collection, which took Mugler and Montana-isms and made them very his own.

I hope, more than anything though, that this lasts. It really would be a shame for this to fall apart after two or three years.

While my dream had always been that he’d gone to Dior after John, knowing now how obscenely corporate and soulless that brand is expected to be now, I suppose it’s best he never ended up there. Maybe smaller scale is best for him...again...if it lasts.

 

[Lola701]

Finally Clarins is taking Azzaro seriously.
I wasn’t convinced with Olivier’s work since his return and the tradition of Azzaro is very detached from everything he has done so far in his career.

Azzaro is very classic and elevated Couture from the 70’s. Simple, chic, quite precious but comfortable.

Olivier has an edge but I hope he will challenge himself by getting into the archives! I don’t want a McQueen at Givenchy kind of situation.

 

[jeanclaude]

Seems like an odd couple...but I am curious to see what Olivier will make at Azzaro.

 

[dior_couture1245]

On further thought, re: the suits of Azzaro making this deal with Olivier....

Olivier’s reputation of idiosyncratic refinement and his high, high standards and expectations for workmanship of his clothing...I hope the suits went in clear eyed about what you get with Olivier. You’re not going to get a gung-ho corporate lackey willing to cut costs at every corner and make sacrifices when it comes to quality and design integrity.

You’re getting a niche and highly respected industry insider designer.

Like I said in my previous post, I hope this arrangement works out well and lasts. If the suits understand Olivier, and can strategize accordingly, it may work. If they’re hoping to turn Azzaro into a mega brand in a five-year period....this will not end well.

 

[Lola701]

On further thought, re: the suits of Azzaro making this deal with Olivier....

Olivier’s reputation of idiosyncratic refinement and his high, high standards and expectations for workmanship of his clothing...I hope the suits went in clear eyed about what you get with Olivier. You’re not going to get a gung-ho corporate lackey willing to cut costs at every corner and make sacrifices when it comes to quality and design integrity.

You’re getting a niche and highly respected industry insider designer.

Like I said in my previous post, I hope this arrangement works out well and lasts. If the suits understand Olivier, and can strategize accordingly, it may work. If they’re hoping to turn Azzaro into a mega brand in a five-year period....this will not end well.

Azzaro is owned by Clarins. They owns Mugler...So we can tell that they are used to struggle with the brands they owns. I think Azzaro could have been great with someone like Alessandra Fachinetti but Olivier is one of the darlings of the industry and can attract international press.

The two fashion brands owned by Clarins have a different problem than the others. They are like Paco Rabanne. They have a very healthy business as the fragrances are selling great but they need some credibility in terms of fashion...Even more because the cheap licences kinda hurt their image in terms of expansion.

They knows Azzaro cannot be turned into a 1B brand overnight and that’s really not their issue. The revolving doors in those brands is kinda insane.

Mugler is having it little momentum again and with Olivier at Azzaro, it means the support of Anna and the return of Azzaro in the pages of the magazine. However, Olivier despite his talent has yet to confirm a commercial success.

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Sebastien Meunier just announced on IG that he's leaving Ann Demeulemeester ?

 

[Fulton St Critique]

Sebastien Meunier just announced on IG that he's leaving Ann Demeulemeester ?

Yes, Women's Wear Daily just reported it as well.

 

[Marc10]

Super sad, absolutely loved his work there. The menswear was literally a dream. Hopefully he's headed somewhere else!

 

[YohjiAddict]

Really sad to see him go, he had some good shows keeping with the brand's signature style and codes, maybe he followed the formula a bit too close at times but it's never easy to come after the original founder of a house. Hoping that he's replaced by someone talented...

 

[eugenius]

^^But I also feel like he went way too far from Ann’s look at times, for menswear at least. Some of his (men’s) styles were way too feminine and not enough masculine, whereas Ann was a queen at riding that fine line between both. He was best when copying Ann verbatim, and in those moments, he was fantastic!

I think Ann would be best if it’s closed for good. For me, all I’ve ever bought was a chunky black sweater and a sleeveless black button-up, which are simple garments, but that feeling I had when I wore it (and DO wear it for the sweater), it simply cannot be matched, no matter who designs for her.

(Re: my Ann sweater...it is well over 10 years old. I bought it right before she launched her official menswear line, and I still feel a million miles above sea level whenever I wear it. Money well-spent, no? That said, I know the new Ann wouldn’t speak to me in the same way.)

 

[Lola701]

He is very talented and it has to said: he is one of the last who followed the spirit of the founder and injected more of his personality. I really respect that in a era where disruption and hype are worship against creativity.

10 years, if he left a brand, I know something bigger would happen for him. Nowadays I don’t know if this kind of designer is even respected anymore...Lucas Ossendrijver is still nowhere to be found.

 

[readings]

This is curious. Do we know who is going to replace him?