After seven years under the helm of fashion’s enfant-terrible, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermes has hired Christophe Lemaire as its new creative director. Lemaire previously worked as Lacoste’s creative director for eight years.
With Gaultier out and Lemaire in, it’s undeniable that Hermes is finally taking a more commercial approach to its ready-to-wear collection. Under the command of Gaultier, and earlier Martin Margiela, Hermes prêt-à-porter gained an avant-garde reputation which, while popular in editorials, was not popular in stores.
We’re expecting Lemaire’s first collection, due in March 2011, to be sportswear heavy, helping to transform Hermes’ ready-to-wear collection into a viable business.
Hermes, however, still owns nearly half of Gaultier’s own label. While the company says it’s not planning to sell its stock in Jean Paul Gaultier, there are indications that it probably will.
Hermes does not own Gaultier’s main money maker, his fragrance license. Beauté Prestige International does, meaning that Hermes only reaps the benefits of Gaultier’s collection, couture, and accessories lines whose sales are not very high. (Sure, it makes some money form the license, but not as much as Beauté Prestige.)
If Hermes sells, we’re hoping that a larger conglomerate, like LVMH or PPR, will invest in Jean Paul Gaultier, or else it might be au revoir Jean. Christian Lacroix suffered a similar fate, when after leaving Pucci in 2005, LVMH sold its stake in his label, which was bought by the Falic Group, only to file for bankruptcy four years later.
Most Popular Stories
Comments [13]
Popular Stories
The 10 Best YouTube Hair Tutorials
The 10 Best YouTube Makeup Tutorials 
Fashion's Most Stylish Guys Give Mark Zuckerberg an (Almost!) Hoodie-Free Makeover for Facebook's IPO
Style and Substance: 10 Ladies Who Have Proven You Can Have Both
10 Beauty Boards You Should Be Following on Pinterest
how sad! gaultier at hermes was genius! i don't know if i want to live through the lacost-ification of hermes….
theworkinggirlesq.blogspot.com
Im predicting polos with horse logos
Eek, I think there's a brand that already does that! ;)
I wonder if they're keeping the price points on the RTW. I always thought Gaultier's designs at Hermes to be very wearable and covetable, just not very accessible, of course.
They probably will keep the price points high. Hermes has made millions off of being inaccessible–I don't think they'll give up on that branding strategy just yet.
Just curious what facts shape your assertion that Hermes's RTW collection has not been a viable business under Gaultier? Like many other major fashion houses, Hermes' revenue is primarily generated by the sale of leather goods and other accessories, however in the economic downturn Hermes has been the shining star of the luxury industry – with recent reports stating that Hermes' CEO expects sales to rise 5% “buoyed by women's ready to wear clothing.”
(Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=ajujEG9z…)
So who knows why the change? The politics between designers and management at houses like Hermes many times go beyond sales…
It's also quite premature to pigeonhole Lemaire's design capabilities simply because he has worked for (and successfully revamped) a commercial label like Lacoste. His eponymous label has explored interesting silhouettes and I'm especially fond of many of the coats in his past fall/winter collections. Perhaps he will be able to find a happy medium tying in Hermes' classic heritage while maintaining modernity and a bit of edge.
I look forward to seeing his work under Hermes as well as Gaultier's work for his own line now that he will have time to focus full-time on his personal collections (save another house snapping him up!).
As they should. I once found, in a consignment shop for a shocking low price, a gorgeous messenger bag from one of the cheaper canvas lines they'd discontinued. Thrift shops are not worthy of Hermes.
How happy I would have been if this story was about Karl Lagerfeld being out at Chanel/Fendi. Dreaming I know. As for Hermés, I lost all faith in them when they cast Karlie Kloss in their current campaign. The entire industry needs an over haul. Bye Bye Gaultier.
I'm looking forward to the new direction at Hermes as well as Gaultiers full efforts on his label
ahmazing!
*confused face*
???
WHY would you be happy about Lagerfeld being out at Fendi and Chanel?
Bitter Betty, much?
I'm thinking now Goultier will go all out, maybe try to fill the void left by McQueen.
I no longer have any insiders' information but the word on the street is that Hermès's ready-to-wear is actually rather successful. Christophe Lemaire is an excellent choice to replace Gaultier. He has been doing some wonderful work with Lacoste over the recent years and has not got half the credit he deserves for that. I cannot see anyone else in the fashion industry who can do a better job at Hermès than him.
I don't really understand the point made by a commentator about McQueen: Gaultier has been in the industry for longer than McQueen and has got recognition long before McQueen did (20 years?). His work is also very different from McQueen's. I often joke that Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler or Christian Lacroix should be appointed as creative directors of McQueen. I am just being ironic. McQueen's work was good; it clearly built up on Montana, Saint-Laurent, Mugler, Lacroix; but that's it.
http://davidikus.blogspot.com