Balenciaga

In a week of couture shows that often felt formulaic, Glenn Martens’ debut at Maison Margiela supplied bold new energy, writes Angelo Flaccavento.

He’s not quitting, he’s just moving on. But Wednesday’s show was a moment to celebrate one of fashion’s most indelible image makers, writes Tim Blanks.

Both sides of fashion’s value equation will be put to the test in the coming days as couture houses flex their creative muscles and consumer prices hang in the balance pending trade deals between the US and major fashion manufacturing hubs.

There’s no denying that the biggest luxury brands badly need a creative reboot. But while the designers who got the top jobs are more than qualified, the lack of female representation speaks to deficiencies in how the industry considers its talent pipeline, writes Imran Amed.

Kering has named the former Valentino designer known for his deft use of colour and sculptural couture to succeed Demna in an apparent reset at the Paris-based brand.

The Kering-owned fashion house is promoting its chief product officer as it prepares to open a new chapter under a new designer.

From Bottega Veneta’s poetry pact to Rui Zhou’s sex toy tie-up, marketing partnerships are becoming increasingly bold and imaginative as brands try to reignite demand in the cooling China market.

Group revenues fell 14 percent in the first quarter as Saint Laurent and Balenciaga also suffered from the downturn in luxury demand.

Just a few years ago, designer sneakers were an “it” item driving huge sales. Today the situation has changed, though they still have their place in luxury’s arsenal.

The financial markets and fashion fans on social media have rejected Kering’s bet on the zeitgeist-shaping Balenciaga designer to revive its ailing flagship. BoF’s Imran Amed has a different view.