Michael Tonello's Blog, page 33
February 21, 2014
Feminists are Birkin Lovers
My parents used to reinvent the Maria song from The Sound of Music to sing: "How to you solve a problem like Gloria?" - and then jokingly whisper between themselves: "Marry her off !"
My parents have been incredibly supportive of my career and lifestyle choices, which could hardly be considered conservative or even comprehensible to them half the time.
But growing up there are expectations of being a woman that you soak up simply by being in the present.
You have to have your own career because you can't just depend on a man. Yet don't forget to be coy and pretty so that you can find a man. But don't just go for any man because you would be called a slut. That's fine if you are a man though, because they would call you a player and that is cool.
The ideal image of a woman in the 21st century is a lean one in a sleek power suit, baby on one arm and Hermes Birkin bag loaded with A4-size business documents in the other - proudly smiling husband in the background. If she had a third arm she would be holding a frying spatula. Boom - the face of feminism.
But there are many faces of feminism the world often fails to point out to us: the mother, the housewife trying to raise her kids as the feminists of tomorrow, the struggling artist who paints by day and waits tables by night, the teacher, and so on.
To me, there is nothing more noble than being a truly inspiring and open-minded teacher. That could naturally apply to a man as well - but that is the point of being a feminist to me.
It is not about valuing one gender over the other, but about equal rights for both. And also, simply the drive to pursue the life one envisions and not be hamstrung by gender expectations.
I believe that women should be able to have the same opportunities as men, perhaps even more so.
I believe that women should believe in their right to have the same opportunities as men, that they should not be afraid to speak up against gender bias, stereotypes and situations where they are disadvantaged.
Question expectations, question establishments and, most importantly, question our worth. Because, more often than not, we are worth more than that.- Art student Gloria Yu is a designer, writer and a citizen of the world.
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_de...
February 20, 2014
And Now For Some Juicy Hermes Family Gossip....
April 20, 2003
Olaf Guerrand-Hermès' wife-at-the-time hired a powerful private investigator to search out his financial assets prior to their divorce. The leather goods heir married Olga Rostropovich in 1991 and she filed for divorce in 2001 after discovering he was having an affair with her best friend - who subsequently became pregnant. Olaf pleaded poverty and claimed he had no money to give her despite the fact that Forbes magazine listed the family's stake in the Hermès business as worth over $1 billion in 2000. In October 2003, Olaf was ordered to pay Olga $300,000 a year and another $240,000 annually for their two children, by Manhattan Judge Emily Jane Goodman.
http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/history/2011/04/olaf-guerrand-herms-ordered-to-pay-540000-annually-to-his-ex-wife-olga
http://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/appellate-division-first-department/2006/2006-05203.html
South Koreans Rock Luxury Goods - Well, Sort Of - The Rise of the 'swag-fake'
Why more South Koreans are flirting with imitations that promise to be cheap, practical and funTHE FASHION INdustry has long been dominated by a black-and-white theory that only genuine articles from classic designer brands have value. Anything that's a knockoff - a "fake" - was immediately dismissed as low-class. This obsession with authentic designer products, however, was accompanied by a sense of snobbery, and those who found this repellent have gone the other way to advocate fakes and copycats.The popularity of imitation brands in Korea has become such that people no longer seem to be shy or ashamed of wearing or carrying knockoffs. This is the so-called "swag" trend. Trend setters are strutting the hippest neighbourhoods with canvas bags that are knockoffs of Hermes' Birkin Bag, topped off with t-shirts or baseball caps that choose to spell Chanel as "Channel".
Even the celebrities have joined in on the fun, as seen in G-Dragon's fake Givenchy brand, "Giyongchy." And faux fur has gained renewed popularity as fashion houses are rushing to roll out fake fur clothes and accessories, claiming that it's not just about the price, but about protecting the rights of animals.
"There has always been imitation, but the recent swag trend contains an additional factor - knockoffs are now considered an independent fashion style. "Swag" is a slang term that originally meant "stolen goods" but can refer to showy accessories in modern colloquial English," says Kim Nan-do, professor at Seoul National University and author of "Trend Korea 2014", who presented "swag" as one of the top 10 influential keywords in domestic consumer trends this year.
"The younger generation seem to favour swag, and think that the better-known designer brands go against the so-called swag spirit," Kim adds. "The swag phenomenon is about clinging to one's original style and refusing to endorse conventional luxuries."
Some designers and trend setters have taken the further step of satirising designer brands and their followers. Among them is Brian Lichtenberg, a contemporary fashion designer who came up with a series of mock luxury brands such as Homies for Hermes, Ballin for Balmain, Bucci for Gucci, and Feline for Celine. As his works gained fame, secondary copycats started to appear in the market and authorised distributors stressed the "genuineness" of their "swag goods."
There may be disputes about the authenticity of these mock luxury goods but one thing is for sure - fun is a key factor of swag. This is demonstrated by Ginger, a casual bag and accessory brand that kicked off in Hong Kong back in 2007, specialising in 3-D printed nylon bags. The Ginger Bag is widely known for its original series which, at a distance, look like the high-priced Birkin Bag by Hermes but are, in fact, nylon bags with realistic 3-D prints. Unlike the source of their inspiration, however, these deceptive bags are mostly priced under 300,000 won (Bt9,000), which is an attractive factor for young consumers or those seeking a reasonably priced bag.
"The fun of it is that these bags do not pretend to be Hermes or whatever other models they may resemble," says an official of Suwa United, the official importer of Ginger in Korea.
"Just like Andy Warhol's Pop Art paintings, they describe a representative image, a classic leather bag in this case, but reproduce them in a fun way, instead of photocopying every detail."
The rise of fake fashion is also attributable to the changing consumer trends that prioritise practicality over prestige. This is how a novice bag brand named Jury came to rule in the affluent Gangnam and Bundang neighbourhoods. The Jury Bag, characterised by its large size, diverse colours, and synthetic leather, was first launched in 2011 as a fashionable diaper bag, under the slogan "For Gorgeous Mama."
It gained recognition as a cheap alternative to costly bags but soon built up a reputation of its own, creating a "Jury Bag syndrome", especially among mothers in their 30s and 40s. Its top-selling models, too, look much like the representative models of Hermes or Louis Vuitton but the owner denies the copycat allegations.
"It is true that the design of the Jury Bag resembles those of the suggested luxurious brands but it's is not entirely the same," said designer and Jo Jury in an interview.
"My idea was not to imitate the luxury bags but to offer stylish but practical bags for mothers who find it difficult to carry around heavy or small-storage bags."
The rise of practicality also benefited speciality retailers of private label apparel such as H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo. In an aim to lower costs, expand circulation and respond to fast-changing consumer trends, these SPA brands often display fake-fur materials or fun-design items, including python-patterned nylon shoes or fake collars.
The appreciation for artificial material was further boosted by the eco-friendly fashion movement, led by renowned designers like Stella McCartney, who has refused to use animal fur in her clothes since 2007.-BAE HYUN-JUNG
THE KOREA HERALD
ASIA NEWS NETWORKhttp://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/...
Hermès Defies Luxury Trend as Sales Power Ahead
A man stands with shopping bags outside an Hermes store at the TaiKoo Hui shopping mall in Guangzhou, China. Hermès International SA RMS.FR -0.21% is bucking the slowdown in the luxury-goods sector with its top-of-the-heap prices.The maker of Kelly bags costing thousands of euros said on Thursday that fourth-quarter sales grew 4.6% to €1.09 billion ($1.48 billion) on robust demand in China and among local consumers in Europe, defying trends that have dragged down competitors such as LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA MC.FR -0.26% . Excluding currency swings, such as the weakened Japanese yen, sales increased 11% in the fourth quarter."We had a better fourth quarter than we thought," Hermès's new chief executive, Axel Dumas, said in an interview. "The industry talks of a slowdown in China, but we didn't feel it in the fourth quarter."A stark deceleration in luxury-goods sales in China has weighed on companies including LVMH and Gucci parent Kering SA KER.FR -0.85% , making investors skeptical that they can maintain the fast growth that has powered the industry in recent years. Those companies say that many sales to Chinese consumers occur when they are traveling—to Hong Kong, Europe or the U.S. Hermès has said that isn't the case with its sales.Hermès's products are among the most expensive in luxury goods, drawing different consumers than the first-time luxury buyers who flock to Vuitton and Gucci.In China, Hermès sales increased 19% in the fourth quarter in the local currency, the same rate it registered for the whole year. It opened one store in the country, in Ningbo, and will open a new flagship store in Shanghai this year selling its full-range of goods."There is no change in the trend in China," Mr. Dumas said.Chinese tourists have sustained luxury-goods sales in Europe, making up for local consumers who have stopped spending in the slow-growth economies. But again, Hermès's experience is different. In its home market of France, where sales increased 7.6% in the fourth quarter, "our clientele remains mostly French, especially in December with Christmas shopping," Mr. Dumas said. He added, however, that the average spend was slighter lower than the year before.In Italy, another country where tourists have picked up the slack from local spenders, Hermès had a solid end to the year. The house moved its Milan flagship store onto the main shopping drag, Via Montenapoleone, from a side street. Sales in the new store "were particularly strong to Italians," Mr. Dumas said. "We weren't totally sure whether the move would affect our sales to Italians."Because of its better-than-anticipated sales growth at the end of the year, Hermès expects its operating margin to "slightly" top the 32.1% it logged last year—already a record. And Mr. Dumas doesn't forecast any slowdown for this year: He is targeting sales growth of at least 10%, excluding currency effects.
Christina Passariello, WSJ
Photo, Bloomberg News
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/S...
February 19, 2014
Hermes Unveils New Kermit Oliver Scarf
The bobcat looks especially intense, peering out, and a longhorn dominates the center of the composition, but other details of Oliver's art could keep you occupied for quite a while. It depicts 120 native animals in a prairie-wetlands environment typical of South Texas. Beautiful birds fly around the border.
The scarf was produced in four colorways in a limited edition of 2,000; but with pre-sales, Oliver's collectors had snapped up the orange and black versions even before the party began. Turquoise and pink versions were selling fast.
A portion of scarf sales benefits the
http://www.chron.com/life/society/art...Hermes Kelly Bag Brings World Record $125,000 In $3.8 Million Luxury Accessories Event At Heritage Auctions
The Dec. 10-11 designer bag event capped a three-day, $10.1+ million offering which included Heritage's $6.3 million Fine Jewelry Signature Auction. The designer bag event featured the finest selection of brands from Hermès, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton to Celine and Judith Leiber. Of over 900 lots, 99.4 percent were sold by value and 99.2 percent were sold by lot.
"After setting the record for the top 10 most valuable Hermès bags sold at auction, taking the record for a Kelly bag rounds out another stellar year," said Matt Rubinger, Director of Luxury Accessories at Heritage. "As the leader in this exciting market, our clients are excited to see what we have in store for them."
Top highlights include a Hermès 30cm Matte Paille Nilo Crocodile Birkin Bag with Palladium Hardware at $65,625, a Hermès 30cm Shiny Blue Brighton Porosus Crocodile Birkin Bag with Palladium Hardware, which was pushed to $65,625 by 17 bidders.
Among the most anticipated lots, a Hermès 30 cm Cyclamen Chevre Leather Birkin Bag with Gold Hardware hammered for $13,125, and a Chanel Stingray & Black Lambskin Leather Boy Bag with Brushed Silver Hardware more than doubled its estimate at $5,625.
Additional highlights include, but are not limited to:
A vibrant, one-of-a-kind Hermès Special Order Horseshoe 35cm Orange H, Vert Anis & Jaune Togo Leather Birkin Bag with Palladium Hardware sold for $35,000.
A Hermès Shiny Geranium Nilo Crocodile Kelly Cut Clutch Bag with Permabrass Hardware more than doubled its estimate to close at $28,750.
February 18, 2014
Hermes Chanel Louis Vuitton Balenciaga Celine $$$ - Will Handbag Insurance Be Next?
Fashion’s rarely about playing it safe. Think mini-skirts and bikinis in the sixties, going out without a coat in January, six-inch heels, flappers showing off their knees… Even lounge suits were scandalous when they first appeared on the scene.
Risk is cool in fashion circles, which is maybe why so many people don’t think to make special insurance arrangements for their clothes, despite some quick fashion maths showing why they should. Even a fairly standard wardrobe can tot up to many thousands of pounds, but with one Savile Row suit costing upwards of £4,000 and a couture dress starting at £10,000, the totals quickly sky rocket. Assuming people have more than one of everything and you also include handbags and shoes, a wardrobe could easily add up to £250,000 or more.
Clothes are classed as personal effects and are usually covered under the general contents part of your policy. Fashionistas should check their policies though, as some have a limit of £2,500 for any one item, which isn’t going to be much good if you shop on Savile Row or at Chanel. What is important is that the limit on your policy is high enough to cover the lot – most high net worth policies will offer you new-for-old, so make sure that you’ve got enough cover to replace your wardrobe properly after a loss. You certainly don’t want to be visiting the high street to replace Hermes.
What insurance doesn’t cover is wear and tear – things like straps breaking, shoes needing re-heeling or fading from light exposure. Cashmere-munching moths, along with other vermin, are also usually excluded, though we have some high-end fashion designer clients who have proved to us that their clothes storage is so secure that they can get cover in this area. They really aren’t your standard wardrobes though.
The really big risks are when clothes leave the cupboards and venture out to be seen. Coats are a problem area; they are a wardrobe’s big ticket item, but they’re also the thing that you’re most likely to take off and leave somewhere. Even if that’s in a manned cloakroom it’s not 100% safe - you could easily end up with a ticket mix-up or an unscrupulous person in charge of the ticketing and security.
We regularly see examples of this with clients’ fur coats, which regularly cost £25,000 but can be as much as £50,000, and it’s a particular problem in ski resorts as hotel cloakrooms tend to be unmanned. A fur coat can be swiped and within fifteen minutes will be unidentifiable - criminals remove the sleeves and the lining, and send them off to be re-fashioned into different garments. They are impossible to trace once dismantled, and there is a lot of demand for the pelts as re-fashioned furs are very fashionable.
Fur’s high value mean the coats have to be specified individually under the valuables section of a policy, so if you do inherit one then make sure you tell your broker. If you have a large collection it can be cheaper to insure them separately. In those circumstances, often you’ll have a floating limit, which specifies how many can be taken out of storage at any one time. If you have a really large collection of handbags or vintage clothes, it can be worth looking at this approach for them too.
Like coats, handbags are another tricky item– they are often set down and people don’t watch them closely. Thieves will swap an expensive bag for a fake so the owner doesn’t notice until it’s too late. And while fashions have changed radically, certain styles of handbags (like Kelly bags and Chanel) are always in style and so there’s always a market for them.
It’s ironic really that insurance, an industry associated with grey suits and the risk averse, is an important building block for high-end wardrobes of avant-garde styles. It goes to show that maximum coverage doesn’t always mean maxi skirts, and that minimal cover can have more implications than chilly legs (sorry).
Katie Small is Head of Private Wealth for R K Harrison Insurance Services
