Vionnet - Ma madeleine à moi

One of the first fashion houses I started working for in '93 was Jil Sander. It was a fabulous experience and probably the reason why I continued in this line of work.
Jil Sander's Avenue Montaigne store was located in the former "hotel particulier" of pioneer fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet (50, ave Montaigne). Jil Sander whispered that the location wasn't a coincidence, she shared Ms Vionnet's vision of elegance and cut. Just after inaugurating the store a very discreet grayhaired lady timidly entered and asked if she could visit. "I used to work here" she announced proudly, then she started to show us where the atelier had been, where the Hispano Suizas parked. She had been a "petite main" in Madeleine Vionnet's workshop. Sometimes whilst working in the upper storeys I could still feel the presence of this grande dame of couture.

The early 1900's symbolised the beginning of feminism. Women began to make it. In the fashion world there were Jeanne Lanvin (single mum and entrepeneur) and Madeleine Vionnet. Ms Vionnet created her fashion house in 1912, although success arrived after the first World War. Her simple elegant styles made all ornementation on garments previously favoured by contemporary Poiret, obsolete. Her invention of the "bias" (or cross) cut and the drapé reinvented couture completely. Her abolition of the corset liberated women. All in all she was a feisty lady, capable of leaving man and house to start over in another country. Well ahead of her times she had a deep social integrity ( her employees had advantages unheard of in those times - day care, health care and payed holidays). As a visionary business woman she quasi invented a system of copyright (her creations had serial numbers and were orned with her digital prints) and was one of the first to distribute Pret à Porter collections derived from haute couture.
Her last collection was in 1939. Her fashion house was up for sale at Druot in 1940. She spent the next and last 3 decades of her life on her other passions: nature and culture.
Of Madeleine Vionnet I will remember this quote:
"Il faut toujours se dépasser pour s'atteindre... Toujours lutter au fond, c'est passionnant"

The Vionnet trademark was bought in 1988 by the de Lummen family who have since been distributing it's frangrances (Madeleine Vionnet SA / Parfums Aubusson). Although there had been suggestions of bringing back the pret à porter in the 90's, my guess is that there hasn't been the oppertunity to enrole a designer who shared the same vision.

Now Vionnet is back on the fashion scene. Arnaud de Lummen, General Manager of the ressucitated fashion house announced this month (july 2006) the arrival of Sophia Kokosalaki as artistic director.

« Notre retour sur la scène de la mode ne sera pas une rétrospective du passé mais marquera notre volonté de perpétuer l’esprit visionnaire de Vionnet. Sophia, reconnue pour son travail sur la coupe et les matières, est sans doute l’unique créatrice contemporaine en parfaite symbiose avec l’héritage de la Maison et pleinement capable d’inventer son futur.»
(10 July 2006 Vogue)

Innovation and technical perfection are the main factors why there is a coherence between the artistic styles of these two women. I really am looking forward to Madeleine's revival. RdV spring/summer 2007 season.

Vionnet
Sophia Kokosalaki

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Paris is a village

Having worked for years in luxury stores, my opinion is based on "onhand experience".
Points of sale have gone through many phases in the recent decade but one factor has always remained the same

"location, location, location" - yes but which one - and how?

I won't be able to give you insider information on Paris real estate. It's Up's and Up's are still a mystery to me. Shop locations, however, are not.
As customer types vary, and the luxury industry has gone from "connoisseur clientèle", "luxury consumers" to "me generation" back to "easthetically aware", so have locations varied. To be able to offer complete sensory shopping experience, stores have moved or opened in various locations, creating rollercoaster trends in real estate (and spanning as many client types as possible).
In 1992 the Faubourg Saint Honoré was a narrow street with only Hermès and Lanvin as shopping highlights. The top location at that time was Ave Montaigne. Things have changed, although Ave Montaigne still is THE thoroughfare for luxury shopping (parking space "oblige"), Fbg St Honoré now looks like a quaint luxury disney village, Dolce, Prada and Chanel all hobbly topply one next to the other. The adjacent streets have scrubbed up and the whole area is now populated by logo bag carrying tourists.
Also, let's not forget the creation in the late 90's of a whole new luxury epicenter in Saint Germain- big uproar at the time. The low key french intelligencia inhabited this area and definitely did not want an Emporio Armani Megastore there.
There was a project to fashion another center on the Marché Saint Honoré (due to the creation of a passage from place Vendome) following the huge success of Colette. This project was abandoned after Sept 2001. This area now houses "createur" brands.

So, ok, luxury stores are to be found all around. The "triangle d'or" - golden triangle - which traditionally spanned the area from Ave George V to the Champs Elysées to Ave Montaigne, has now extended to 3 poles : Montaigne-Fbg-St Germain.
Some brands choose to be present in all locations (eg Prada).

Is uniformity in visual identity still relevant in a tentacular luxury distribution schema?

As my experience goes, local clients will not be very faithful to one point of sale within a same brand and city. Sympathy for a particular sales assistant aside, of course.
Marketing gurus have been too busy reenforcing international VI unity in points of sale to fathom the impact this may have on local clients. These are screaming to be identified. Generally this population lives in the same area as the store and has strong ties to it. If these upmarket neighbourhoods have a history, aura or particular ambiance (eg Saint Germain) why not take it into account? (generally, that's why the space is so expensive)
This may also work for out of town clients. Instead of seeing an exact replica of their home store, they may appreciate the diversity and creativity of a coherent yet different space.
In an age where luxury stores are competing for clients who are becoming increasingly needy of personal identification, does a brand need to impose heedlessly it's unique vision, or is the future

translating brand image to geography?

PRADA STORES

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Interbranded

With this year "BEST GLOBAL BRANDS 2006 edition" The french heist only nine into global top 100 ranking, 7 of which are of the luxury industry.
LVMH places 3 into ranking :Louis Vuitton 17th (17,6 billion dollars), Hennessy 83rd (3,57 billion dollars), Moet & Chandon 87th(3,25 billion dollars). PPR places Gucci - 46th .
L'Oreal is 5th in overall ranking, Chanel 61st, Hermes 81st and Cartier 86th. The other non-luxury brands are Nestlé - 63rd and Danone 67th.

INTERBRAND 2006 TOP100

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Is Christie's going "E-bay"?

Christie's is opening up to client lambda. No need to be in the know on auction house etiquette. Not only this but really, how many of us have seen sales catalogues and dreamt of attending a particular auction? Now we can comfortably participate from the privacy of our home (or offices).

Since mid July 2006 Christie's has opened a new era in auctioning. Online bidders to their mice!!! Watch and hear the auction online. Bid if the price is right.

I can't imagine that bidding for an NK€ painting whilst chewing on pizza, in your track pants behind the screen translates "glamour" (or if that watch you have had your eyes on for aaages seems that attractive through lcd).
The good news is that you can scratch your nose freely without being mistaken for a bidder.

RdV online on the 5th of december (remember that "little black dress on sale"?)

Christie's

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