Luxury Briefing.

On Madison Avenue, Armani Junior’s first US store will be at 1223. Collette Vintage will offer major designer apparel at lower prices at 92nd Street. Monique Lhuillier will open just off the avenue at East 71st Street. Italian jeweler Ippolita will arrive at 796 Madison. Sandro is coming uptown to 986 Madison. Rebecca Taylor will […]

A new magazine devoted to the art of being social has been launched in the US. Event planner Barton G Weiss is behind Vault, which consists of a mixture of socialising, fashion and entertainment, and is due out next month. Features in its debut issue include a story about Golden Gloves boxer and professional model […]

INDUSTRY-SHAPING TOPICS
1 Post-materialist luxury
In mature economies, a new concept of luxury travel is emerging, as considered consumption becomes the norm amid worries about recession and rising energy and commodity costs. Sonu Shivdasani, chairman and CEO of Six Senses Resorts and Spas, says: “The recession is acting as a wake-up call for wealthy consumers, who are […]

The promise of luxury for men
Accounting for 40% of global sales, men’s spending on luxury also grew almost twice as fast as women’s in 2011, 14% compared with 8% respectively (Bain). Burberry and Coach have flagged this segment as an area of expansion, aiming to join menswear veterans Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss and Dunhill. At […]

ON Madison Avenue, UGG Australia‘s first-ever men’s store is coming soon, adjacent to its flagship at no 600; while the flagship store will also undergo an expansion. Emporio Armani is returning to the avenue at 58th Street as a Collezioni store, and opening the first Armani Junior shop for children on Madison at 88th Street. […]

Miami’s design district has seen the opening of a 3,660 sq ft Armani Casa boutique, the brand’s first store in Miami and its third in the US. The store offers a range of products including furniture, furnishings, décor, tableware, accessories, fabrics, ornaments, light and bathroom and kitchen products. Each Armani Casa also offers an interior […]

…and, having finally worked that one out, I can concentrate on finding out what the brands are up to around the world.
For instance the Heritage Centre in Kowloon appears to be a sort of retail El Dorado, where riot police are obliged to use tear gas and baton rounds to disperse the crowds […]

ON Fifth Avenue, Ghurka has staked its claim to no 781 while Louis Vuitton is expanding at no 743. Massimo Dutti is coming to no 689. Jimmy Choo is renovating its 645 Fifth Avenue boutique. Salvatore Ferragamo will open a temporary store at 3 West 57th as its Fifth Avenue shop is renovated. French beauty […]

STILL reeling from the impact of the global financial crisis and facing strong challenges from heavily discounted ‘masstige’ products, luxury market revenues are likely to remain stagnant in 2012, with the battle for minds and share-of-wallet increasingly heated. Tighter revenues means working harder or smarter for every penny, so while the coming year is going […]

What is the extent of your work and how do you manage it?
I am Chairman of DM London Ltd, a watch business that incorporates the Watch Gallery and the Watch Hut; I am also executive director at Huntsman, Savile Row, and executive director of Budd Shirts, Piccadilly. DM London is significantly bigger – annual turnover […]