Who’s in, who’s out?
May 2010 marks the end of an era; Indeed Jean-Paul Gaultier is leaving the creative direction of French Fashion House Hermès. Known as the outsider “l’Enfant terrible” of French Haute Couture, he was working at Hermès since 2003.
So this fruitful collaboration between two different personalities, Hermès the very well-established brand known for being classical and JPG the eccentric, is coming to an end after 7 years. Though they broke up, the Hermes family stills owns a 45% share of JPG brand. Now, Jean-Paul Gaultier wants to concentrate more on his own brand.
The traditional French house is …

Baselworld, the world’s largest watch and jewelry fair, opens its doors on March the 18th for a week.

Watchmakers and the industry in general have great expectations for this 2010 edition after last year’s catastrophic one. With the crisis behind (but still close) the fair motto is optimism but also caution. While Swiss exportation experienced its first rise since 2008 last quarter (+2.7% in January 2010 compared to January 2009), Jean-Claude Biver, Swatch group CEO still thinks the crisis is just around the corner…
Baselworld organizers and the industry experts hope to benefit the same conditions as did the SIHH (Haute Horlogerie …

Europe’s luxury industry drew some comfort on Friday from Hermes’ (HRMS.PA) relatively encouraging 2009 outlook, and a positive trading update from LVMH (LVMH.PA).
The news from the world’s two biggest luxury groups by market value lifted the whole sector, battered in recent weeks by disappointing sales and growing evidence of restrained spending even among the ultra-rich.
Fresh figures from the pair showed upmarket handbags, shoes and other leather goods resisted consumer thriftiness better than jewellery, watches and certain spirits. Hermes said it aimed to keep 2009 sales relatively constant against 2008. Many analysts expect the global luxury market to fall about 10 …

Mariacarla Boscono for Hermès Fall Winter 2009 by Eric Valy

For the fall winter season 2008-2009, the chic French luxury house Hermès presented a breathtaking advertising campaign shot by the renowned fashion photographer Eric Valy. Both beautiful and original, the ad visuals reinforce the nostalgic feel the houses’ ready-to-wear collection of French fashion classics evoked. The Hermès “Indian Winter” collection is well translated on the photographs, that were shot on a winter set surrounded by snow covered mountains with Italian model Mariacarla Boscono.
Entitled “An Indian Winter”, the advertising visuals show an array of pieces from the Hermès Fall Winter 2009 ready-to-wear …

Jean Paul Gaultier carrying the Hermès Jipsy
With the fierce Jean Paul Gaultier ruling the sceptre, luxury house Hermès presented a well balanced ready-to-wear collection of French fashion classics for coming fall and winter. Luxurious, but remarkably understated, the collection has a nostalgic feel about it, hinting to the earlier years of the maison. On the catwalk, refined ton-sur-ton black ensembles where followed by delicate blocks of earth tones. An exciting accent in the collection are the bold ethnic prints, used on meticulously made skirts and dresses, as well splashed on high heeled riding boots, coats, knitwear, handbags, and even the …