Tag Archives: Christopher Kane
Kick Starter: The Award-Winning Nicholas Kirkwood Shoes You Can Buy Right Now
There’s likely more than one British designer wishing they could step into Nicholas Kirkwood‘s shoes right now. On Tuesday, Kirkwood became the first accessory designer to win the British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund.
“Nicholas has created a real business in an impressively short amount of time and has become one of the world’s most influential shoe designers,” said British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, who’s on the fund’s judging panel. “I very much look forward to seeing what he does next.”
What’s next for Kirkwood is a plan for major growth. The prize includes £200,000 (just under $315,000 at current exchange) and an 18-month mentoring program for Kirkwood and his partner Christopher Suarez designed to help them turn their company into a global fashion brand.
Kirkwood, who recently designed all the shoes for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, beat a field of other young talents that included Roksanda Ilincic, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto, and Emilia Wickstead for the prize. In the past, the award has gone to Erdem Moralioglu, Jonathan Saunders, and Christopher Kane, the latest talent to join luxury conglomerate PPR.
Only time will tell if a big deal with one of the world’s foremost fashion companies is in the cards for Kirkwood, too. In the meantime, a look at some of our favorite Kirkwood originals available right now.
– Additional reporting by Christina Pérez
Source: Getty
Source: FULL ARTICLE at fashionologie
It's Official: PPR Buys Stake in Christopher Kane
PPR just bought a new little brother for Gucci. After months of speculation, Christopher Kane‘s eponymous label is now a member of PPR‘s stable of luxury brands. On Monday, the French conglomerate purchased a 51 percent stake in the company and revealed plans to help it grow internationally.
Some of those plans include adding another ready-to-wear line to the Kane umbrella and opening the brand’s first freestanding store, which will probably set up shop in London next year.
“Christopher Kane is already established as a luxury label and has a tremendous intrinsic growth potential,” said PPR CEO Francois Henri Pinault in a statement. “We thus have great ambitions for the brand and will enable it to benefit from our expertise and know-how while providing the space for it to further develop its own creative identity.”
Though PPR now owns a controlling share of Kane’s label, Kane told WWD that the company “understands and appreciates our creative independence.” That said, PPR has not ruled appointing a new CEO for the brand at a later date. Currently, Kane’s sister Tammy runs the business side of the company.
Both sides agree that the primary objective for Christopher Kane is expansion.
“Our long-term ambition for the company is obviously to grow it into a globally recognized brand,” Kane said. “We do not plan to make any immediate or major changes to the way that the business is currently managed. All growth will be gradual and organic.”
Rumors that Kane’s label would join PPR began shortly after he left his position as the creative director of Versace’s secondary brand, Versus. At the time, Balenciaga, another PPR brand, has just announced that its longtime creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere planned to leave the company. Some believed Kane would replace Ghesquiere, but that job eventually went to Alexander Wang.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at fashionologie
Is PPR Already Interviewing New CEOs For Christopher Kane?
While there’s been no official announcement on whether PPR will invest in Christopher Kane‘s eponymous label, the latest reports suggest the firm is getting closer to making a deal.
Unnamed sources have told WWD that Alexis Babeau, managing director of PPR‘s luxury division, has interviewed candidates to be the brand’s new CEO once it becomes part of PPR‘s portfolio. Kane currently runs the business with his sister Tammy.
Rumors that PPR would add Kane’s label to its stable of brands – which includes Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and Gucci, among others – started going around when Kane left his position as the creative director of Versace’s secondary line Versus. At the time, it was rumored that Kane would come to PPR to replace Nicolas Ghesquière as the creative director of Balenciaga, a job that eventually went to Alexander Wang. Kane has reportedly been in talks with PPR since November, but so far nothing concrete has come from the meetings.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at fashionologie