Renato Balestra, the dean of Italian couture, died in Rome on Saturday, age 98. After an apprenticeship with Jole Veneziani in 1959, he opened his first atelier in Rome, where the company is still based today.

Having come from a family of architects and engineers, he stood out for his artistic ability and was considered the “painter of fashion.” Known for his signature painterly embroidery and blend of fabrics and transparencies, his name was associated with a distinctive color Balestra blue.

Balestra designed exclusive collections for Isetan in Tokyo as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Foley’s, Neiman Marcus and Lord Taylor. In 1970, he included men’s looks in a women’s fashion show a pioneer in creating unisex collections on coed catwalks.

His brand was relaunched earlier this year with a new course set by his granddaughter, Sofia Bertolli Balestra, with a first ready-to-wear collection presented in February during Milan Fashion Week. Renamed simply Balestra, the logo revisits the hand-drawn version designed by the founder in 1971 and appears in his signature color.

The brand remains privately owned by the family, with the founder’s daughters Fabiana Sofia’s mother and Federica Balestra at the head of the fashion house.”

FM

She is probably best known for “Avatar,” the James Cameron epic that became the biggest movie of all time in 2009. But she’s also part of “Avengers” and “Star Trek”. She has become one of the highest-grossing actresses in today’s movies.

It’s naturally an entirely different world 13 years after the first “Avatar” movie was released, and the moment of course leads to reflection on how Saldaña’s life and career have changed in that time.

At a certain point, even being an action star begins to feel like riding a bicycle, and Saldaña is now in her moment of seeking out discomfort. Whjy not Fashion ?

Monot’s polyester dress. Boucheron Maillons necklace, from Paris, Vu du 26 high jewelry collection, set with quartz, pavéd with diamonds, on yellow gold; Vendorafa 18-karat yellow gold dome ring; Bulgari Serpenti Viper ring in 18k yellow gold with diamonds; David Yurman ring in 18k yellow gold with pavé diamonds; Anita Ko gold ring; Delfina Delettrez 18k gold, white diamond and akoya pearl ring; Hamilton Jewelers 18k rose gold ring; Saldaña’s own gold ring, worn throughout. Continue reading →

Detroit-born, Kevan Hall’s fashion creativity emerged early. By the age of seven, he knew he wanted to be a fashion designer. He embraced haute couture as an interpretive art form, setting out to redefine glamour for a new generation. Continue reading →

Chanel No. 5 perfume, an eye-catching moon landing spacecraft has been created for this pop-up theme. Making experience feel like it’s in the vast universe. Space “Cheap” to polluâtes the Moon. Why not Continue reading →

Between the official sponsors of the soccer world cup and the vertigo of endless wealth,  they are torn between their will to shine without alienating dictatorships, with the risk of scratching their image by associating themselves with a world cup truly tainted with accusations that hint at the trampling of Human Rights. But, in the world of fashion, we are used to these counterfeit humans, and they perform daily a balancing act so perfect.

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The answer is hard to determine, say principals at Compagnie Financière Richemont. Consumer behavior is still impacted by COVID-19, China remains volatile, and U.S. growth is slowing.  Are storm clouds gathering over luxury?

The demand for high-end watches, jewelry, and accessories remains robust, resulting in solid results for the first half of the fiscal year. Richemont’s sales increased 24 percent to 9.68 billion euros at actual exchange rates, and its profit from continuing operations increased 40 percent to 2.11 billion euros.

On Friday, Richemont’s shares surged more than 10 percent to close at 118.10 Swiss francs.One thing is certain: COVID-19 continues to change consumption patterns worldwide, for better and for worse. Richemont managers discussed volatility and a lack of visibility in the market.

In fact, Richemont says consumption patterns have changed so dramatically since COVID-19 that no single geography is driving revenue or dominating the balance sheet. Continue reading →

Shiseido’s president and CEO Masahiko Uotani announced succession plans on Thursday that will see him step down within two years. As of Jan. 1, Uotami’s role will change to representative director, chairman and CEO, while Kentaro Fujiwara will assume the position of president and chief operating officer.

“Fujiwara and I will work closely together for two years managing the company jointly, and then we will see what happens after that. I don’t want to just pass the baton on suddenly,” Uotani said. 

Shiseido’s business grew 19 percent on a like-for-like basis in 2021, despite continued lockdowns in China. The growth of the business in China has been a cornerstone of Uotani’s globalization strategy. Continue reading →

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Kering said sales increased by 14% in its third quarter, driven by strong results in Europe, although Gucci revenues lagged behind overall growth.

With the dollar strong in Europe and the Chinese market recovering from COVID-19 restrictions, luxury giants are disregarding concerns that the industry’s post-pandemic boom may cool.

With overall sales of 5.137 billion euros in the three months to September, Kering also benefited largely from that trend. Analysts had predicted a 12% increase on a comparable basis, which strips out currency fluctuations. However, Gucci’s sales grew by 9%, below a consensus forecast of 11%.

The label’s performance in China was “mixed” and “has yet to normalize,” said Kering’s finance chief Jean-Marc Duplaix. Following years of stellar growth, Gucci has underperformed rivals Louis Vuitton and Hermes in terms of its sales, which accounts for the bulk of profits at Kering. Too bad the turnover is not like Gucci’s collection this season, a double vision.

Within less than a month of announcing plans to restore tax-free shopping for international visitors, the British government has backed down. The return of tax-free shopping had been hailed by industry groups and luxury retailers as a way to boost tourism post-COVID-19 and help British luxury brands and retailers compete with their European counterparts.

With Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor of the Exchequer, that euphoria has dissipated as the country tries to generate as much tax income as possible to restore confidence in brand Britain. It is estimated that the new measures he announced will save the government 32 billion pounds per year.

After the speech, the pound rose by roughly 1 percent against the dollar, trading at $1.13. By late afternoon, it had risen to $1.14.  Continue reading →

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