Dior’s Got More Than One Brand-New Bag--and a Star to Sell Them
You can tell a man by his shoes, but you can tell a fashion house by its purse.
First came the Prada backpack that made the triangular logo as famous as it was lucrative. Next came Gucci’s metallic totes and Jackie bags that showed how accessories could breathe life into near-dead fashion companies. Lately, it’s been the whimsical Fendi baguette swinging from status-conscious elbows.
Now, Dior has signed “It” girl Gwyneth Paltrow to appear in an ad campaign for the City Dior handbag line. The bags are squarish leather totes in colors ranging from lilac and mint to black and cappuccino. The look and the prices recall those of that other hot tote popular among young Hollywoodians: the J.P. Todd.
A small Dior bag will sell for $940, a medium for $1,200 and a large for $1,300. The campaign will hit U.S. magazines early next year.
Gucci Grows: The race to snap up luxury-good brands heated up this week as the Italian fashion house Gucci announced the acquisition of two esteemed companies, Yves Saint Laurent and shoemaker Sergio Rossi.
Gucci is adding more brands to its portfolio in a bid to rival multi-brand luxury conglomerates like Prada Holdings and Moet-Hennessey-Louis Vuitton.
Gucci, under the creative direction of designer Tom Ford, plans to expand the YSL brand and roll out stores in major cities. Under the deal, designer Yves Saint Laurent will continue as the haute couture collection designer. No announcement has been made about YSL ready-to-wear designer Alber Elbaz.
More on Melrose: The retail revival on Melrose Avenue continues with the announcement this week that Italy’s Costume National has signed a lease for a space at 8001 Melrose Ave., near the recently opened Miu Miu, Betsey Johnson and Daryl K boutiques.
Designer Ennio Capasa, known for sexy, contemporary clothes, plans to open the 3,000-square-foot boutique there by early next year. The company also owns boutiques in New York’s SoHo; Milan; Rome; Tokyo; Osaka and Hiroshima, Japan; and Hong Kong.
During a visit here earlier this year, Capasa said he is coming to L.A. because it is a key source of fashion inspiration and a link to the music and film worlds.
A Sporty Start: On Monday, Italy’s luxury suit maker, Ermenegildo Zegna, launched its new upscale active wear collection, Zegna Sport, with the opening of a Rodeo Drive boutique.
The company recruited football stars Troy Aikman, Dan Marino and John Elway to appear in ads for the sporty collection. The new collection includes high-tech fabrics such as ultralight microfiber, rip-stop nylon, rubberized stretch pique and water-repellent suede.
