CEO of DIESEL: RENZO ROSSO

Renzo Rosso

Business Biographies: Renzo Rosso

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(1955–)
Owner, chief executive officer, and designer, Diesel
Nationality: Italian.
Born: 1955, in Brugine, Italy.
Education: Graduated from an Italian textiles school, 1975.
Career: Moltex, 1975–1978, production manager; Genius Group, 1978–1985, designer; Diesel, 1978–1985, designer and partner; 1985–, owner, chief executive officer, and designer; La Maison Martin Margiela, 2002–, majority owner and investor.
Awards: Best Italian Company of the Year, Premio Risultati award of the Bocconi Institute, Milan, 1996; nominated by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year, 1997; chosen one of the 100 Most Important People in the World, Select magazine, 1997; honorary MBA, CUOA Foundation of Italy, 2000.
Address: Diesel, Via dell'Industria 7, 36060 Molvena, Vicenza, Italy; http://www.diesel.com/.

Renzo Rosso never looked or acted like a chief executive. He attended corporate meetings and interviews in what could only be described as eccentric fashion—faded jeans, cowboy boots, and whatever else might have sparked his imagination on any particular day. Rosso never apologized for his attire nor his singular vision for Diesel, the company he founded and made into a multimillion-dollar fashion empire. Rosso was an original, and his vision turned a small wholesale clothier into an international sensation.

Beginnings
Rosso was born in 1955 in the town of Brugine, located in northeastern Italy. He was raised in a small farming village and attended a local industrial textiles school. After graduating in 1975, Rosso went to work at jeans maker Moltex as a production manager. While at Moltex, Rosso partied at night and cared little about his job. When he learned Moltex's owner,
Adriano Goldschmied, was going to fire him, Rosso saved his job by creating a business plan to increase production and de crease costs. Goldschmied was impressed, kept Rosso on, and eventually offered him a stake in the company. The two launched the Genius Group in 1978, which became the home of several up-and-coming designers, including Katherine Hamnett.
Designing under the name "Diesel," reportedly because it was pronounced the same in all languages, Rosso began to make his mark in the fashion world in the early 1980s with jeans and casual wear. An outlet store was opened in 1982, and three years later Rosso, seeking his independence, was ready to take sole control of Diesel. He bought out Goldschmied and several other Moltex business units and assumed full re sponsibility for Diesel's future. As Rosso declared many times, "Diesel is not my company, it is my life," and his complete devotion to the company proved this sentiment repeatedly.

Fashion Outlaw
Rosso differed from most fashion houses in that he pushed creativity over the bottom line. Once designers proved themselves, they were given much freedom to design as they saw fit. Rosso wanted to create an international market for Diesel, and he slowly tested the waters. Within five years of taking control of Diesel, the firm had reached sales of more than $130 million and was available through retailers in more than three dozen countries.
As Diesel's jeans and casual clothes gained notice, so did Rosso. He was outspoken and irreverent and often flamboyant. He bought an art deco hotel in Miami's South Beach in 1991, giving it a stylish, if not somewhat outrageous, makeover. Ross also learned how to use the media to his full advantage, launching controversial advertising campaigns that gave Diesel prominent coverage in newspapers and magazines. No subject was too touchy for Rosso; he reveled in the attention, along with increased brand recognition and sales. By 1994 revenues approached $330 million.
An early foray into licensing in 1994 produced popular Diesel Shades (sunglasses) with in-your-face style names. The following year Diesel introduced its first fragrance, eponymously named and for both sexes. As the extreme sports phenomenon raged, Diesel launched a collection of extreme sportswear called 55DSL. Diesel's outrageous ad campaigns continued during the 1990s and picked up Clio and Cannes Film Festival awards in the process. By the time Rosso launched a Diesel Web site in 1995, the company had a huge cult status and received thousands of hits per day on a site that was more psychedelic than retail, since it was designed to sell image, not product.

Conquering the United States and the World
The first Diesel store opened in New York City in 1996, and it was followed by a store in London. Within two years there were 24 more stores in the top retail areas of the United States. In 1999 Diesel signed with Fossil to produce watches. In 2000 Rosso bought the Italian luxury clothier Staff International, which licensed Vivienne Westwood apparel, and brought in annual sales of $380 million, which it bested in 2001 with $495 million in sales.

In September 2002 Rosso created a stir by buying a majority stake in Martin Margiela's Paris-based fashion operations. Most of the industry found this an odd pairing; the quiet, avant-garde Belgian and the flashy outspoken Rosso seemed akin to oil and water. Rosso stressed that the investment was not an acquisition and that he had no plans to change anything about Margiela's designs or business. Since he had long criticized fashion conglomerates like LVMH (Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton) for their pursuit of profits at any cost, Rosso was quick to clarify his actions. "I'm not buying a fashion company like other groups have done," he told Robert Murphy of Women's Wear Daily, "I'm investing in Margiela so two friends can work together to grow a very special brand" (September 5, 2002).

By the end of year, Rosso's empire had annual sales of more than $600 million. In his many years in fashion, Rosso had been called radical, eccentric, and a host of other colorful terms as the maestro behind Diesel's success. He continued to push the limits of the industry with ironic, outrageous advertising in the early 2000s and was rewarded for his efforts with several Italian awards and an honorary MBA from Italy's CUOA Foundation.
Rosso explained his take on the fashion industry to Courtney Colavita of the Daily News Record: "Fashion companies—the ones that really drive the market—shouldn't work to produce numbers but rather should work to sell dreams, to create products that make you feel good and are right for the moment in which you live. Sure, a company has to be healthy financially, but the more we move forward the more people really want something that makes them an individual. Fashion companies have to focus on not being big but instead focus on being more of a niche product" (September 15, 2003). While number crunchers disagreed with Rosso's unique vision, they could not dispute his success. Diesel brought in sales of over $750 million in 2002, which qualified the brand as serving considerably more than a niche market.
In September 2003 Rosso celebrated Diesel's 25th anniversary with characteristic zeal, hosting an enormous party for 25,000 friends in Molvena, Italy. By 2004 Diesel products were sold in more than 75 countries through retailers, luxury department stores, catalogs, and about two hundred Diesel stores worldwide. The Diesel name appeared on children's clothing, undergarments, jewelry, leather goods, eyewear, fragrances, and footwear. Diesel jeans, however, remained the firm's primary claim to fame, with trendsetters willing to pay $100 to $200 for a pair.

Sources for Further Information
Colavita, Courtney, "Diesel's Engine," Daily News Record, September 15, 2003.
Dillabough, Chris, "Diesel Runs Rich-Media Ads on High-End Fashion Sites," New Media Age, March 20, 2003, p. 11.
Manuelli, Sara, "Fuel for Thought," Design Week, July 10, 2003, p. 15.
Murphy, Robert, "Opposites Attract: Diesel Buys Martin Margiela," Women's Wear Daily, September 5, 2002, p. 1(2).
Preston, Pieter, "Choosing A Unique Look," New Media Age, May 20, 2004, p. 20.
"Renzo Rosso," Biography Resource Center Online, Gale Group, 2003.
Sansoni, Silvia, "Full Steam Ahead for Diesel," BusinessWeek, April 29, 1996, p. 58.
Webdale, Jonathan, "Diesel Considers Loyalty Card on Eve of Online Campaign," New Media Age, January 24, 2002, p. 7.
White, Constance C. R., "New Line, New Images," New York Times, December 10, 1996.

More Margiela, Less Martin

More Margiela, Less Martinby
Miles Socha Posted
Thursday March 05, 2009
From WWD Issue 03/05/2009


PARIS — How’s this for conceptual: Despite a grim economic climate, Martin Margiela’s freestanding stores and corners in Paris logged a 21 percent sales increase in January versus a year ago.

On average, sales in Margiela’s 35 shops and corners around the world posted a January bump north of 10 percent.

It’s a sign of continued, albeit tempered, momentum for the iconoclastic men’s and women’s wear designer, who celebrated 20 years in fashion last fall amid wide speculation he was walking off into the sunset.

“He’s still in his position,” assured Margiela chief executive Giovanni Pungetti, while disclosing the Belgian designer has recently reduced his day-to-day involvement and is now rarely spotted in the company’s rickety, all-white hallways. “He’s not here eight hours a day.”

Asked if Margiela would be backstage at his women’s fall fashion show on Friday, the ceo shrugged, “I don’t know. Sometimes he is, sometimes not.”

In an interview in his office at Margiela’s quirky headquarters, his desk a thick pane of glass laid over two sawhorses, Pungetti said the company would continue to expand its product universe and exhibit at Milan’s furniture fair Salone del Mobile next month.

“The idea is to go to Milan to show our philosophy in interiors that can be interpreted in the future. We feel our brand is a universe that can be enlarged to other territories,” he said.

Pungetti was cryptic so as not to spoil the “surprise” of its presentation. He characterized the Salone presence as more of a teaser for a launch in 2010 rather than an introduction of home objects or furniture.

The furniture collection is another example of the expansion of the brand since it was acquired by Renzo Rosso’s Only the Brave Srl in 2002. The house’s first fragrance, under license with beauty giant L’Oréal, will be unveiled to the trade in November, with distribution to follow in 2010, Pungetti confirmed.

What’s more, a second collection of fine jewelry, in partnership with Italy’s Damiani, will be unveiled later this year. Pungetti cited promising sell-through above 40 percent in the company’s London and Paris stores for the first collection, which arrived last November. Retail prices range from 1,000 to 5,000 euros, or $1,250 to $7,250.

Pungetti expressed regret the economic slowdown has thrown a wrench into the firm’s strong, profitable growth vector — and retail expansion drive. Business has toughened in Asia and Russia, and Japan remains challenging. Europe, by contrast, “is quite a good surprise because we are increasing in some markets; France, the U.K., and Italy are stable. The retail business is going very well all over the world,” he said.Pungetti attributed the gains, in contrast to double-digit declines at many department stores and retail chains, to growing awareness and popularity of the brand, boosted partly by widespread media coverage of last year’s milestone anniversary, which included a retrospective exhibit at Antwerp’s MoMu fashion museum.

He also credited early deliveries and “good collections,” particularly the women’s line, which has recently ignited a trend to broad shoulders and sculptural necklines.

Last year, revenues at Margiela rose 20 percent to around 70 million euros, or $103 million at average exchange rates for the period. Full-year retail sales rose 31 percent in London, 35 percent in New York and 16 percent in Seoul, Pungetti noted.

He forecast an increase in the range of 10 percent for 2009, and said the company would operate at breakeven. Women’s wholesale orders for fall, including its first pre-collection, dubbed Avant Premiere, have been “good,” he said.

“The collection that we have downstairs [in the showroom] that we are selling is absolutely one of the most Margiela collections we have ever had,” he said.

Still, the economic slowdown means Margiela will rein in its store expansion. Margiela’s first Dubai boutique, in partnership with Villa Moda Lifestyle, is slated to open this month. The brand will also fete its recently completed and expanded Munich location, and go ahead with a refit in Tokyo and a relocation in Seoul.

Other projects are on standby, although the brand will continue to scout for retail opportunities in Rome and Berlin, for example, Pungetti said.

“We have to be prudent and careful. This is not the moment to spend too much,” he said, citing tight controls on general expenses, for example.

As for Margiela himself, Pungetti insisted the speculation about the designer’s exit did not hamper the business, and said it’s been a “gradual” process of withdrawal as he built his teams and entrusted them. He noted that one senior creative staffer has been with Margiela for 19 years, and that the founder recently screened and recruited a successor to a senior designer who had recently resigned. The design team numbers 16, not including product development staff, Pungetti said.

“He’s concentrating on more strategic projects. He’s still working with us in the key decisions of the company,” he said. “Yesterday, we were calling each other.

“This is the spirit [Martin] wanted to create; that’s his philosophy,” Pungetti explained. “He’s more consulting with us than designing every product. The team is more Margiela than him.”



Margiela MIA?
05 March 2009, 12:35PM
from:http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/090305-margiela-mia.aspx

FROM the outside Maison Martin Magiela is an avant-garde and conceptual brand with a cult of fashion followers. In January, against all economic expectations, the label posted a 21 per cent increase in sales against last year. Add to that the fact that the brand has its sights set on home domination (launching jewellery, fragrance and furniture in the coming year), why the murmurs that Maison Martin Margiela will soon be without Martin?

"He's still in his position," Margiela chief executive Giovanni Pungetti assured WWD, before conceding, "he's not here eight hours a day." The label is set to show its autumn/winter 2009-10 collection tomorrow but Margiela himself may not be backstage as the looks are unveiled: "I don't know. Sometimes he is, sometimes not," Pungetti admitted.

Despite the apparent uncertainty over his role, the brand will go ahead as planned adding product depth to the collection. A second collection of fine jewellery, in partnership with Damiani - who also produced Jil Sander's new jewellery range, will be unveiled later this year. The first Margiela fragrance, under license with beauty giant L'Oréal, will be distributed in 2010, with homewares and furniture scheduled to be released the same year.




The above new showed the future development of the Maison Martin Margiela in comming 2010, whatever the presence of Martin Margiela, the brand is EXPANDING, from the products of garment, to the jewellery, and even heading to the homewares and furniture. The development goal is that Maison Martin Margiela is no more just a fashion brand, but a brand of conceptual lifestyle, which is the ultimate form to fashion business. Facing the global economic downturn, Maison Martin Margiela still got profits increase because of the widespread media coverage through exhibitions(as you can see how many ehxibitions the brand had participated and organized from its official website). Thus, it's giving a great opportunies and capital for the brand to explore various aspects of living, then eventually bcome a mediator for spreading Martin Margiela's Philosophy.

Maison Martin Margiela Fall 2009 RTW

Theme: morphing

PARIS, March 6, 2009

By Sarah Mower

If an "invisible" designer has finally dematerialized, will anyone actually be able to tell the difference? Such is the philosophical conundrum facing the many fans of Martin Margiela. Outside the company, no one knows anything about the whereabouts of one of modern fashion's greatest heroes, and the is-he, isn't-he retiring gossip that started a year ago has become one big snore. In the absence of any definitive corporate statement, the only test of whether Margiela is still in the house must be down to whether the inimitable dialogue of excellence, intellectual challenge, and wit is still there in his show. Safe, yet very sad to say, this time it was gone.

There have been many seasons when Margiela's collections have been lauded for being brilliant comings-together of thoughts, and many others when they've been rejected, panned, and found offensive. There have been none, however, where the work has been of so little consequence. The Margiela-isms seemed to be there, sort of: the tan bodysuits mimicking nakedness, the Perspex shoulder pads, the so-called "deconstructionist" cutouts, the leggings pulled over shoes, the grown-on collars worn as hoods, the tinselly boas. Yet all of it seemed to be done by rote, as if it had been pulled out of the label's back catalog, without any sense of a vivid intelligence pushing an idea toward new conclusions.

Often the end of Margiela's shows could feel like a cliff-hanger, where the audience would be left with a sick-thrilled sensation of wondering where, and how, his ideas could possibly manifest themselves. Later they always would, one way or another, and often in the collections of other designers many seasons later. The reason, for instance, that giant shoulder pads are "in" right now, this season, is that Margiela single-handedly pushed them way out there two years ago. His impact on fashion is vast, and now in its absence, a loss to be mourned, not just by loyal fans who are from now on looking for somewhere else to shop, but by an entire industry that has depended on Martin Margiela's genius contributions to drive fashion forward.

It seems the reaction of the public to Maison Martin Margiela this season is not very well, mainly because of the concoiusness of Martin's absence. How would be the sales profits in comming 2010? Would it be increased/ decreased or remain unchanged? There are some loyal fans (who are the main customers) that the brand really wanna keep( that's why the collection this season is quite conservative, giving much effort in keeping the origin of Martin Margiela), but meanwhile they also wanna explore a new market, searching new customers (that's also the purpose of this collection-------to test the reaction of market towards the brand which they can evaulate the effects of Margiela's left). Although MMM is always do its own thing, does it consider consumer demand as a main factor to the color trend?

September 28, 2008, 8:29 pm — Updated: 9:51 am -->
Martin Margiela to Exit Margiela?
By Eric Wilson


The big rumor floating around the Paris shows this week is that Martin Margiela, the influential and enigmatic designer, is preparing his final disappearing act. Over the last year, Mr. Margiela, known as fashion’s “Invisible Man” because he never gives interviews and has rarely been photographed, has told colleagues that he wants to stop designing and that he has begun a search for his successor at the house.

In one move that has set off intense speculation about the company’s future, Mr. Margiela, who is 51, initiated a meeting here early this year with Raf Simons, another well-regarded Belgian designer who was renegotiating his contract with Jil Sander at the time. According to people familiar with the designers, who requested anonymity out of respect for Mr. Margiela’s wishes to remain private about his plans, Mr. Simons had discussed the possibility of replacing Mr. Margiela, but nothing came of that conversation.

Ultimately, Mr. Simons renewed his contract to remain at Jil Sander for an additional three years.

“Helmut (Lang) and Martin have had a big impact on me, but beyond that I cannot tell you anything,” said Mr. Simons, who declined to comment when asked about his conversation at a fashion show on Sunday.

The rumors about Mr. Margiela’s desire to leave fashion reached a fever pitch at the shows over the weekend as the Maison Martin Margiela prepared for its spring runway show on Monday night, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the house. Suzy Menkes, reporting in Monday’s International Herald Tribune, writes that two designers have been in talks with Renzo Rosso, the chief executive of Diesel Group, which bought Mr. Margiela’s business in 2002. She did not identify the designers and it was not clear whether Mr. Simons was one of those.

But she includes an intriguing comment from Mr. Rosso, who said, “We are very happy with Martin but for a long time he has a strong team and does not work on the collection, just special projects.”

If Mr. Margiela truly has not been involved in the recent collections, an assertion that appears to be debatable, it would prove his longstanding point – and the reason he has maintained his silence – that the clothes are greater than the creator.

The MoMu in Antwerp honours Margiela

The MoMu in Antwerp honours Margiela

Wednesday, 08 October 2008

Maison Martin Magiela (MMM) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. This is being commemorated with a special exhibition at the Fashion Museum in Antwerp, the city where Magiela completed his fashion degree. Following the collection presentation in Paris last week, the rumour suddenly surfaced that after twenty years in the business Margiela has had enough. According to Suzy Menkes at the International Herald Tribune this has been confirmed by various sources. To this end Renzo Rosso has already supposedly approached two designers to follow in Margiela's footsteps. Rosso's Diesel Group took MMM over in 2002. Rosso himself denies the rumour; nor is Margiela commenting - but that's nothing new as he hasn't done so for more than a decade.

Martin Margiela (51) rates anonimity highly. Not only is he rarely seen, there are no photos of him in circulation and he never gives interviews. This anonimity strategy applies to his fashion collections too. The garments' inside labels are white, blank. Only the four white label stitches seen on the outside indicate its an MMM garment. This strategy extends to the presentation of the collections: for example, another MMM concept is models walking the catwalk with their faces covered, wearing the notorious incognito sunglasses like a stripe over the eyes.

The fashion house is in its twentieth year. As such the MoMu in Antwerp is honouring Margiela and his fashion house in full reflection of his style. Trompe l'oeil was chosen to form the basis of the exhibition, as this is a technique often utilized by the fashion house in both the shop interiors and the collections. The colour white was also opted for. One of the more striking trademarks of this fashion house is the consistent use of the colour white; in the shops, offices and showrooms, as in this way the designs are shown at their best. The garments aren't exhibited chronologically at the exhibition as fashion isn't linear. Rather, they are arranged thematically. A number of specific themes can be found in several collections, for example: anonimity, the use of second hand material, permanently creased items and assemblage, and the combining of various items of clothing into one. We see a doll's warderobe like Barbie's (again with garments from different collections) magnified to human proportions. The result: disproportional clothing with enormous zips and unfinished stitching. MMM likes to deviate from standard body sizes. But its not only the end result which is important; the production process matters too. Because who knows the real value of materials and production times anymore? MMM considers this to be crucial. His response to this question are half-finished items; not just clothing, but paint pots on the museum floor depict the production process.

This special exhibition delves deeper into the various themes and concepts brought to the fore during the fashion house's twenty years than maybe a conventional exhibtion would. Themes and concepts of the various global collections, shows, inaugurations and events as well as in the design of its shops and singular house style. For all this, Margiela isn't to be found. No photo, film or interview. Does he really exist? Thanks to the Menkes rumour we at least know the answer to that. The exhibition at MoMu in Antwerp runs up to and including the 8th February 2009.

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA ARTISANAL 09

At first glance, Margiela’s Artisanal collection is a luxurious masterpiece of innovative design and decadent materials in a symphony of textures and colours. Looking closer however, the true innovation in design becomes apparent, as each piece is meticulously created from recycled, commonplace household goods. Hair combs, paper towels and brightly coloured straws abound, and yet there is little question in the coveted desirability of the individual pieces. Stand out pieces included a tasseled dress made entirely from multi coloured shoelaces and a one-legged jumpsuit made from shreds of old jeans. In times of financial hardship, Margiela is truly pushing the boundaries of economically viable recession wear.

A Magazine curated by MARTIN MARGIELA

Unfinished Pattern of Martin Margiela

At the vanguard of avant-garde designers, Martin Margiela is a master of reworking existing clothes, fabrics and objects to create new garments and accessories. Attributing this quest to transform as born from a wish to treat the preciseness of the structure of a particular garment as a design challenge, this downloadable unfinished pattern gives an opportunity to engage in this process of mutation and innovation. The simple shift dress pattern, without sleeves and with no hemming, is the basis to make a design of your own conception - by augmentation and addition. As if joining the actual designers at the key stage in the making of a garment, this is your raw material to shape into the new.

Exhibition

SOME OF the OTHER MUSEUMS at which Maison Martin Margiela has participated in Exhibitions since 1989:

Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode et du Costume, Paris
Many exhibitions including:
‘Le Monde selon ses createurs’ 1991
‘Histoires du Jeans’ 1994/5

Musee de L’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris, Paris
‘L’Hiver de l’Amour’ 1993

PS1, New York 1993

Museo Pecci, Prato, Italy
‘Fellini: Costumes and Fashion’
Exhibition later toured to London, Miami and Stockholm. 1995/6

Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles 1995/6
‘Mode & art 1960-1990’

The Museum at FIT,
The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
Many exhibitions including:‘ Fifty Years of Fashion, New Look to Now’
1997/8

Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands
‘Theatre de la Mode’ (Video Presentation) 1997

Musee de L’Art Contemporain de Marseille &
Musee de la Mode, Marseille, France
Participation in many exhibitions including: ‘Le Mode au Corps’1996

Maison de la Photographie, Paris
Gotscho with Nan Goldin, ‘Photographies Habilles Par’ 1996

Musée de la Mode et du Textile, Paris 1998/9
‘Touches d’Exotisme’

Fri-Art Centre D’Art Contemporain Kunsthalle, Fribourg, Switzerland
‘Art et Mode: Fashion Video’ 1998

Flemish Regional Government, City of Antwerp, 1998
At the Centro Cultural de Belem, Lisbon, Portugal
‘Fascinating Faces of Flanders’/ Two hours wide or two hours long.’

Musee des Beaux Arts, Antwerp, Belgium 1998/9
‘Fascinating Faces of Flanders’/ Two hours wide or two hours long.’ On tour

k/haus Künstlerhaus, Vienna, Austria 1999
‘Fast Forward’

MOMU Fashion Museum, Antwerpen, Belgium 1999
‘Geometrie’

MOMU Fashion Museum, in San Franscico, USA 1999
‘Geometrie’ On tour

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA 1999
‘Rock style’

UK Arts Council at The Light House, Glasgow, Scotland 1999
‘Arts 2000’.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, at
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland, USA 2000
‘Rock style’

k/haus Künstlerhaus, touring to Logan Galleries, San Franscisco, California
‘Fast Forward’ On tour 2000

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, at
The Barbican Centre, London 2000
‘Rock style’

The Museum at FIT, The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
‘ Belgian fashion Design’ 2001

The V&A, London, U.K. 2001
‘Radical fashion’

Cooper Hewitt, Smythsonian, Washington D.C. USA 2002

UCAD, Paris, France
‘L’Homme pare ‘ 2005

MUDAG, Lausanne, Switzerland
‘Design, vous aves dit Design ?’ 2006

Palais Galleria, Paris, France
‘Show Time’ 2006

Nef du Grand Palais, Paris, France
‘LA Foroe de l ‘ art’ 2006

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, United States
‘Fashion Shows : Paris collection 2006’ 2006

Museum of Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, United States
‘ Skin+Bones’ 2006

LaCNA, Los Angeles, United States
‘The Mode Breakers’ 2006

Flemish Parlisment, Belgium
‘6+ ANTWERP FASHION’ 2007

European Capital of Culture, Luxemburg
‘Dysfashional’ 2007

MOMU, Antwerp, Belgium
‘Maison Martin Margiela 20 the exhibition’ 2008

Maison Martin Margiela Exibition in Beijing 2008/6

Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp

This is the school where Martin Margiela graduated from

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (Dutch: Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten van Antwerpen) is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. It was founded in 1663 by David Teniers the Younger, painter to the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm and Don Juan of Austria. Teniers was master of the Guild of St Luke - which embraced arts and some handicrafts - and petitioned Philip IV of Spain, then master of the Spanish Netherlands, to grant a royal charter to establish a Fine Arts Academy in Antwerp.


The Royal Academy further developed into an internationally acclaimed institute for Fine Arts, Architecture and Design. From the nineteenth century on, the academy attracted young artists from abroad. Irish, German, Dutch, Polish artists looking for a solid classical training found their way to Antwerp. Under the direction of Gustave Wappers (1803-1874) and his registrar Henry Conscience the academy faced significant restructuring. The academy's significant art collection was exhibited in its own gallery space. By 1890 this gallery would develop into the Royal
Museum of Fine Arts (Dutch; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten) and would move to its current location in Antwerp. In 1880 a promising young artist Henry Van de Velde enrolled at the Antwerp Academy. He would become one of the pioneering 20th century architects and designers.

in 1885 and 1886 Vincent Van Gogh was also to spend a short time at the Antwerp academy, prior to his departure to France. In 1885, King Leopold II commissioned the establishment of the National Higher Institute for Fine Arts Antwerp (Nationaal Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten) as a unique post graduate program, inspired by the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
In 1946 the Architecture program became an independent institute, The National Higher

Institute of Architecture. Another key moment in the history of the academy would be 1963. A unique new course ‘Fashion Design’ started. This course was moderately successful from the beginning, but became world leading in the early eighties. “The Antwerp Six” with Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Ann Demeulemeester were hot issue in the media. Stylistically extremely diverse, these young friends had a huge impact on the contemporary fashion scene. The fashion program attracted more and more talents from all over the globe. With over 130 students it's by far the largest program in the visual arts and design department.

In 1995 the Flemish higher educational system faced a radical metamorphosis. The Antwerp Academy and the Henry Van de Velde Institute were included as faculties in a bigger college structure, The University College of Antwerp (Dutch; “Hogeschool Antwerpen”). The Higher Institute of Fine Arts was destined to develop into a separate entity. [Een tempel bouwen voor de muzen, een korte geschiedenis van de Antwerpse Academie by Jan Lampo, April 1995] [1885/1985 een eeuw Nationaal Hoger Instituut voo Schone Kunsten te Antwerpen by L.Theo van Looj, 1985/411/7]

The Academy nowadays offers three distinctive programs; Visual Arts and Design, Conservation studies and a one year dedicated teachers training. A body of 540 students(of whom 230 international) work in the four main buildings located in the heart of the city; Mutsaardstraat(Photography, Silversmithing/ Jewelry, Theatre Costume Design and Fine Arts), Nationale Straat (fashion), Keizerstraat (graphic design).

Official Website: http://www.artesis.be/academie/

Fashion Deflation

Source:http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/13/fashion-deflation-designers-lifestyle-style-fashion-deflation.html?feed=rss_forbeslife_style

Style
Fashion Deflation
Jeanine Poggi, 03.13.09, 05:00 PM EDT
The recession is prompting clothing makers and retailers to lower prices.

There's some good news for shoppers amid the economic gloom: Lower clothing prices are coming soon, and not just for sale items. Mainstream brands such as Lacoste and Coach plan to cut retail prices as much as 30% on their fall offerings.

The reason: Fashion producers are trying to anticipate consumers' tighter budgets and avoid last year's drastic markdowns, which can undercut a brand's perceived strength. "The 70% discounts we saw during the holiday season are risky not just for brand integrity but brand equity," says Erwan Rambourg, luxury and sporting goods analyst at HSBC.

Despite all the sales, retailers posted big losses in the second quarter. In March, Neiman Marcus announced a second-quarter loss of $509 million. At J. Crew Group (nyse: JCG - news - people ), the loss was $13.5 million.

In Pictures: Fashion Deflation

As a defensive action, clothing makers are tightening belts, making do with lower profit margins and passing along the cuts to consumers in the form of lower retail prices.

For the fall, Lacoste will offer cable-knit sweaters, normally $145, for $98, says Robert Siegel, chairman and chief executive of the company. In spring 2010, Lacoste plans to lower prices in other categories, including its signature polo shirts. Price cuts do not mean a cut in quality, says Siegel. "We are taking it out of our own margins in our attempt to be more consumer-friendly."
Coach (nyse: COH - news - people ) is also planning to trim profit margins, reducing its average handbag price to $300 from $335. Joe's Jeans (nasdaq: JOEZ - news - people ), which sells premium denim, is dropping its entry price point to $138 from $145.

High-end fashion brands are planning to produce lower-priced products too. Monique Lhullier, for example, will offer several gowns retailing for $2,500. Her dresses usually sell for between $3,000 and $7,000.

Retailers are also trimming their sails. Instead of lowering prices on the lines they usually stock, boutiques are starting to incorporate more accessible products into their collections. Nordstrom (nyse: JWN - news - people ) plans to spend more inventory dollars on lower-priced merchandise.

Gretta Monahan, owner of Boston-based boutique Gretta Luxe, says in the fall she will begin offering shoes from Vera Wang's Lavender Line, which start at $295. Normally, she carries Jimmy Choo and Brian Atwood, which start at around $400. "We want to incorporate prices into our selection that are easier for the consumer to digest," she says.

Eugene Fram, professor of marketing at Rochester Institute of Technology, predicts that other retailers will follow suit." In terms of pricing, some of the organizations are now on the defensive, like Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany's," he says. "It wouldn't be surprising to see price reductions of 50%-plus in their attempts to avoid Chapter 11 proceedings. Others, in a stronger position, will have to offer substantially lower discounts, 20% to 35%, to remain in the ballgame until this traumatic period subsides and affluent consumers once again find luxury merchandise more appealing."

The strength of the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen, vs. the weakness of the British pound and euro, is also affecting prices, says HSBC luxury analyst Rambourg. This may cause some European luxury brands to lower prices.

"Designers see the writing on the wall and realize they cannot achieve the same margins," says Jennifer Black, founder and president of the research firm bearing her name. "Those days of 40% to 60% margins are over. Consumers are savvier."

For the most part, however, retailers and designers will not broadcast reduced prices. Unless you are a loyal consumer, you may not recognize the decreases.

It's highly unlikely that you will see these reductions at true luxury players such as Louis Vuitton and Cartier. "These brands offer classics, and if Cartier doesn't sell one of its watches today, they can still sell it six months from now," notes Rambourg.

Roger Kowall, owner of Ohio-based men's boutique Cuffs, says suppliers such as Hermès, Loro Piana and Brioni have maintained their prices for the fall. Burberry and Bally also say prices will remain steady.

"Luxury is all about perceived value," Rambourg observes. "If you lower prices you take away that 'wow' effect, which is what defines luxury."

Snapshot 2

go to snapshot 3

Color Theories/ Principle Task 2-------Boutique

This is a task which using the color principle i've learnt in the 7th lecture.

Martin Margiela 數字系列

Martin Margiela 數字系列
0 女性手工縫製系列 ( Artisanal )
0/10男性手工縫製系列 ( Artisanal )
1 女性流行時裝系列
10 男性流行時裝系列

4 女性高級時裝系列 ( Replica )

14 男性高級時裝系列
11 男性/女性飾品配件
22 男女鞋
13 出版品及裝置物品
MM6 女性/中性年輕系列所有從

0-23 的其他系列，以數字圈起為區別。

Milan's Choice: Appeal to Reason or the Gut?

from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123622001815636427.html?mod=rss_Fashion_Journal


MARCH 5, 2009, 11:17 P.M. ET
Milan's Choice: Appeal to Reason or the Gut?
Some Labels Offer Smart Design, While Others Aim to Strike Awe; 'Don't Tell Me More '80s!'
By CHRISTINA BINKLEY

Watching from the helm of the Gucci Group luxury empire, Robert Polet sees longtime patterns changing. "People don't have the impulse to buy," the CEO said last week at Milan's fall 2009 fashion shows. "They think about purchases more."


That's a vexing problem for the European designers who are presenting the clothes that will appear in stores next fall. Foot traffic is down in luxury stores everywhere. With the Dow industrials below 7000 for the first time since 1996 and with the U.S. savings rate at its highest level in 14 years, how is a fashion designer to sell expensive clothes?

In Milan, there seemed to be two conflicting approaches to this question. Some designers drilled to their cores. Giorgio Armani returned to the sleek executive lines he is known for, with capes, cardigans and slim pants in pewter and various other shades of gray. Versace went for all-out, body-hugging sex -- just what the brand is known for. Bottega Veneta showed winning looks for a woman who wants to be subtle about the excellence of her clothes. In fact, Tomas Maier's collection for Bottega was outstanding -- softly colored, supple wools and silks, such as a graceful silk jacquard trench coat and a soft, double-faced cashmere coat.

Miuccia Prada, who is consistently independent of the trends chased by other designers, rediscovered the suit -- creating slightly off-kilter, woodsy suits that were still authoritative enough to be snapped up by working women. "Women always wear suits," the influential designer said after her show. Though she's known for her artistic independence, she made a point of saying that her suits would work "from a commercial point of view."

Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta offered subtlety with a silk jacquard trench coat
Many other designers threw caution to the wind, creating collections of flamboyant, indelibly unique clothes and avoiding items that could be accused of being "commercial." That went against the normal grain of the Milan shows, where designers generally present a lot of wearable clothes. With the biggest economic challenge of their lifetimes facing them, these designers seemed to be trying to create clothes that would feel worth the investment. While this is an exciting approach, it's also risky, and it remains to be seen which of these designers will have hits on their hands.

Brian Atwood's designs for Bally included memorable shoes with elaborately carved metal heels. Mr. Atwood said he didn't concern himself with keeping costs down for the "fashion collection" whose role is to draw attention. (Bally's less showy "pre-collections" were created with costs kept in check, executives said.) "I think it's what women wanted," Mr. Atwood said. "Especially now, you really have to inspire."

Designer Graeme Black, of his impossibly expensive eponymous label, said, "That's my only weapon -- luxe." Mr. Black's collection, presented at his Milan showroom, was half the size of his previous seasons, and he's been working to cut his prices sharply. But there wasn't a single item that didn't attempt to deliver a knockout punch, including a $3,976 black cocoon cape that was inspired by a visit to the mineral collection at London's Natural History Museum. Mr. Black created the cape with multiple uses in mind, pitching it as practical, to a certain point: "You can wear it with skinny jeans, you can wear it with an evening dress," he said.

Graeme Black went for 'luxe' with a mineral-inspired dress.
Another suit had been hand-painted to achieve the mineral-like look he desired. Mr. Black said he is braced for selling fewer items to his wealthy clients than before, so he wants each one to pack a wallop. "One of the sad things about this downturn is that ladies' husbands have cut their budgets," he said.

No matter who is picking up the bill, shoppers may balk at some of the 1980s looks on the runways. Quite a few Milan designers seemed to think that creating excitement required outlandish designs based on that decade's exaggerated lines. We saw multiple takes on huge, wide shoulders. Ferre designers Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi did them squared off with a fold of fabric wrapped from back to front -- extraordinary tailoring. Gucci did them on cropped jackets, exaggerating the football-player look. Dolce & Gabbana did them big and poofy -- more Elizabethan than '80s. Waists were often pinched under the huge shoulders. Pants were cropped at the ankle and pleated at the hip -- not a flattering look on many women as it shortens and broadens their legs.

Investment dressing it was not. The fashion world has been toying with the 1980s for the past year, ever since Marc Jacobs sent out a playfully '80s-inspired collection a year ago. But I can't help thinking the clothes will look entirely out of date within a year, maybe two. That's what happened with my own suits and jackets from the 1980s, which wilted like cut flowers when that era was over. The '80s weren't flattering to women's figures, and many women later recalled them with a shudder.

"My clients won't go for the literal translation of the '80s looks on the runways," says Kelly Golden, owner of the high-end Neapolitan boutique in Chicago. "They want something that they can wear now and in future seasons."

To get a read on consumer response to the shows, I asked consultants Zeta Interactive, based in New York City, to use their Zeta Buzz technology to measure the so-called buzz surrounding a handful of high-profile

Jil Sander offered bold art but also wearable, minimal looks.
Milan shows on more than 100 million blogs, message boards, social media posts and other Internet outlets.

Prada had the highest overall volume of chatter, with Bottega Veneta coming in second, according to Zeta. When it came to the tone of the posts, though, Bottega Veneta had the most positive posts -- 98% were positive. Gucci had the worst tonal rating, with 61% positive.
And despite the inarguable skill involved in the design and tailoring of many of these garments, many store buyers were looking for alternatives to the '80s look by week's end. As a colleague and I left Versace's early show on Monday night, Bloomingdale's fashion director Stephanie Solomon was racing into the later show. "How was it?" she called. "Don't tell me more '80s!"
That might be why the Jil Sander collection, designed by Raf Simons, was well received. The first part of the collection was pure Jil Sander daywear to the core -- minimal, strong lines on suits and dresses of fine melton wool and wool crepe -- with flat shoes. What followed was an artist's take, inspired by the late French ceramist Pol Chambost. The clothes curved like sculpture, some supported by whalebone hoops, using materials including starched wool, techno foams, scuba jerseys and a wool tweed coated with gold dust.

The patterns required such precision that Mr. Simons brought out his pattern cutter for a bow. For such elaborate work, Mr. Simons said, "We have to honor them."

Ms. Golden, the boutique owner, agreed. "The beautiful tailoring seen at Prada and the luxurious fabrics at Jil Sander are great examples of the understated elegance that my clients will be seeking out during this challenging economic time," she said

Color Theories/Principle task 1------collections

that's the work I made before the lecture, i just applied colors which i feel they're appropriated. Colors used: orange, blue, grey, rose pink, gold and beige



After the lecture, i've learnt what the color schemes and how to use them, here is the work which i applied DOUBLE COMPLIMENTARY SCHEME with 2 set of complimentary colors: blue & orange, violet & golden.

You can see the differences between these 2 collections.

Fashion feels the pinch in London and Milan

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The economic crisis cast a long shadow over London Fashion Week, with designers holding their catwalk shows in smaller venues or skipping the catwalk in favor of low key presentations.

London Fashion Week felt the chill wind of the recession, with designers forced into smaller venues.

Hilary Alexander, fashion editor on the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper, said the recession's impact was not a surprise.

"Fewer American buyers are coming here, and that's to be expected if you look at the situation with the pound and the dollar plus the fact that they'll also go to Milan and Paris."
Hilary Riva, CEO of the British Fashion Council, told CNN: "Buyers, certainly from department stores in the U.S., are cutting budgets. So in overall terms, of course, they are going to be buying less. But they come to London in particular -- and the emerging designers -- for something different."

Roberto Cavalli's secondary line, Just Cavalli, is another fashion casualty of the financial crisis. The Just Cavalli catwalk show, a highlight of Milan Fashion Week, was cancelled with only two days notice. The reason cited: Financial trouble.
The impact of the recession could be seen throughout London Fashion Week, which had been cut to five days to fit between New York and Milan's shows, with many designers moving their shows away from the main area by the Natural History Museum in South Kensington.

Some brands cut the catwalk element out completely, instead holding shows in smaller, more intimate and cheaper locations. New style presentations were held over several hours, increasing the likelihood of fashion buyers attending.

Maria Grachvogel, who once used Victoria Beckham in her 2000 London Fashion Week show, displayed her latest autumn/winter collection in rolling half-hour presentations.

"A presentation gives much more flexibility to both the press and buyers to fit in their schedules," said Grachvogel.

"I think in a way, in this kind of environment, that seems much more appropriate to show the collection in that kind of intelligent way so your really focusing your eyes on the clothes and not necessarily all the theatre," Grachvogel told CNN.

The exhibition space where buyers have the chance to see the garments up close was cut down by 15 stalls from last London Fashion Week.

London Fashion Week has previously launched the careers of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, both of whom have now traded London for Paris Fashion Week.

"London Fashion Week is known for its dynamism and creativity -- you don't come to London for the big global labels. You come here for what's new, and for the emerging talent," Riva said.
But designers have to adapt to a changing market, with cheaper showroom garments just as important as headline-grabbing catwalk outfits.

"There will be a collection of clothes which balance the attention seeking clothes, which are rent payers, which are at the correct price, not too high but still very beautiful," legendary British designer Paul Smith told CNN.

London Fashion Week is part financed by public funding through the British Fashion Council. In 2007 the London Development Agency allocated a £4.2m grant to the British Fashion Council -- £40,000 of this has been used to subsidize the cost of accommodation or travel for buyers.

The British Fashion Council estimates that London Fashion Week generates £20 million for the city's economy and produces orders of about £100 million.

By Olivia Feld

source:http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/27/london.fashion.week/