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  • The Latest
    - 22 May 2012
    - by Sophie Doran

    The Latest Appointments: PPR, Audi & Jumeirah Group

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    The Latest Appointments at Hilton Hotels, Sotheby’s, Barney’s New York, Tiffany & Co, PPR, Smythson, Aquascutum, Departures & Vogue Australia

    A little more than one year after being announced as Pringle of Scotland’s design director, Alistair Carr is being replaced by the label’s in-house creative team. The Central Saint Martins graduate was appointed following the departure of Clare Waight Keller, who left for Paris label Chloé.

    The decision to part ways was said to be amicable and a mutual decision, as the label shifts to focus on smaller presentations and concentrate on its luxury cashmere and wool separates through small-scale retail stores. Similar sentiments were expressed over at Paco Rabanne, following the news that artistic director Manish Arora had been dismissed by “mutual agreement.” Arora relaunched the brand’s ready-to-wear line and presented a critically acclaimed collection in March.

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  • The Bulletin
    - 21 May 2012
    - by James Lawson

    Luxury Brands Advance with Cautious Optimism

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    James Lawson, director of Ledbury Research, confirms that luxury sector performance in 2011 was positive across the board, but highlights waning confidence from senior executives

    Most of the major luxury houses have released their 2011 annual financial results over the past few months. Results were positive across the board, continuing the good performances experienced by brands in 2010. Gucci was amongst the star performers with an impressive 23% year-on-year increase in sales; Hermés was also strong with 18% growth.

    LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading luxury products group, recorded a 16% increase in revenue reaching €23.7 billion in 2011. All business groups saw excellent momentum in Europe, Asia and the United States. Louis Vuitton, in particular, once again recorded double-digit revenue growth during the year.

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  • Prime Source
    - 18 May 2012
    - by Susan Kime

    The Evolving Attitudes of Affluent Americans

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    Susan Kime, luxury columnist for JustLuxe.com, articulates the key insights from the 2012 American Express Publishing Luxury Summit

    The 2012 American Express Publishing Luxury Summit was just completed, and one of its main concentrations was, as it has always been in the past, relevant research about wealth and affluence – based on surveys, interviews and focus groups conducted by the Harrison Group, led by Dr. Jim Taylor, Vice Chairman. Unlike survey results cited by other groups, this survey data paints a darker picture, due to two new, problematic reactive trends, and two new proactive trends, more solution-based, relating to the issues raised by the first two.

    According to Dr. Taylor, “One of the observations that gives us pause is there’s been no comeback in optimism about one’s own future, one’s children’s future or about the shape of the country.” Further, and equally as troubling, “there is very little real confidence or solid vision for what the future is going to be like.”

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  • Features
    - 16 May 2012
    - by Sophie Doran

    Understanding The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards

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    Christine Borgoltz, corporate communications director of Cartier International, details the jeweller’s commitment to female entrepreneurship and social responsibility

    “In one way or another way, all luxury brands are giving to charities,” begins Christine Borgoltz, corporate communications and public relations director of Cartier International and an instrumental figure in the launch of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards. “But we don’t like to talk about it because we feel it is normal. “Giving back to the community is a necessity. It’s not so much a question of needing to donate to move forward with selling jewellery. It’s a question of being part of society and life – it shouldn’t be a justification.”

    Such has been the attitude of Cartier since 2006, when the brand officially set out its corporate responsibilities and guiding principles in a dedicated charter. In the six short years since officiating its commitment to social, environmental and ethical responsibilities, the brand has launched and supported a diverse range of programs.

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  • The Latest
    - 15 May 2012
    - by Sophie Doran

    The Latest Investments: Acquascutum, Ducati & Vertu

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    Audi takes control of Ducati for a cool $1.1 billion, Coty bids farewell to Avon and an insolvent Aquascutum is bought by China’s YGM for just £15 million

    Audi has acquired Ducati Motor Holdings for a sum of $ 1.1 billion, close to seven times the revenue of Ducati in 2011. The famed Italian motorcycle brand will become the 12th company in the Volkswagen Group’s portfolio, which now includes everything from supercars to full-size trucks.

    Fragrance firm Coty has withdrawn its $10.7 billion bid for Avon Products, saying the US beauty firm had taken too long to respond to its offer. Chairman Bart Becht, in a letter to Avon made public, explained: “Your total lack of engagement with us leads us to believe that you remain reluctant to explore a friendly, negotiated combination on a reasonable timetable. Consequently, as our deadline to begin discussions expired today, our proposal is withdrawn.”

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  • The Bulletin
    - 14 May 2012
    - by Sophie Doran

    Record Breaking Auction Highs for Contemporary Art

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    Contemporary art becomes ‘the gold of the new rich’, following record breaking auction sales in New York for Rothko, Klein, Lichtenstein and other post-war artists.

    Fine art has been billed as the asset likely to offer the best returns this year against a climate of ever-increasing investor uncertainty, according to research by private wealth network Family Bhive. A preference to invest in fine art ranked above investment in property, alternative funds and soft commodities, where investors are thought to be looking for lower volatility through wider asset diversification.

    The sample for this particular survey was perhaps too small to draw definitive generalisations. A multiple choice question was posed to a group of 70 bankers, investment managers and lawyers, asking ‘What components of a diversified portfolio strategy will offer prospects of positive returns in 2012?’ But a record-breaking week of Spring auction sales almost confirms the sentiments of the study’s respondents, as the world’s wealthiest shelled out more than $650 million on contemporary works alone.

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Members opinion

  • Karen Weiner Escalera Generation Y: Luxury's Most Buoyant Market by Karen Weiner Escalera 3 May 2012
  • Isa Lavs Luxury Shopping in the UK: How the Market Continues to Grow by Isa Lavs 1 May 2012
  • Marina Cozzika South Africa’s Luxury Consumers Buck International Trends by Marina Cozzika 25 Apr 2012
  • Sophie Maxwell Has Luxury Brand Diversification Gone Too Far? by Sophie Maxwell 18 Apr 2012

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