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Tag: Fashion

  • India’s V-Bazaar opens 1st outlet in Lalitpur

    India’s V-Bazaar opens 1st outlet in Lalitpur

    V-Bazaar has announced the launch of its 1st store in Lalitpur and 30th in Uttar Pradesh. V- Bazaar is a complete family fashion store which brings trendy and fashionable merchandise to every category of people, at reasonable prices by eliminating the middleman between manufacturers and customers. The store is spread over 8,856 sq.ft. area.

    Announcing the launch, Hemant Agarwal, CMD of V-Bazaar said, “It is a very happy and proud moment for us to open our 1st store in Lalitpur. Looking at the overwhelming response of our other store, we thought of providing the convenient shopping experience to the customers of the city. It has been our attempt to provide our customers the superior merchandise, service and the overall international shopping experience. This 1st new store in Lalitpur is a significant achievement for us. Our new store is fashionable and individualistic, showcasing a collection of the finest quality merchandise at unbelievably pocket-friendly prices.”

    The new showroom has been spread over large area with spacious interiors. The new store offers a vibrant trendy line for the youth which includes shirts, pants, sherwanis, kurta pyjama, jackets for men and fancy wedding sarees, wedding designer suits, cotton suits, pants, half sleeve and full sleeve t-shirts for women. There is large variety of dresses for your young ones too.

    The range offers funky, stylish, and incredibly comfortable garments that are a must in every teenagers and young adult’s wardrobe. Created while keeping current international trends in mind, the collection is trendy, fashionable and is available at unbelievably low prices. Customers can make their shopping fun with special opening offers at V-Bazaar as on every purchase they get assured gifts.

    V-Bazaar primarily operates in Tier II and III cities. It is chain of value retail fashion stores offering apparels for men, women, kids, home furnishing, footwear and accessories catering to the entire family.

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  • Shinsegae to launch SSG.com as separate unit

    Shinsegae to launch SSG.com as separate unit

    Shinsegae Group will launch a brand new entity that specializes in e-commerce next month in an effort to become Korea’s answer to Amazon. Titled SSG.com, Choi Woo-jung, vice president of Shinsegae’s e-commerce division, will be the CEO. “[Through the new entity], we hope to maintain the existing SSG.com brand and maximize brand power by raising [people’s] awareness of our professionality in the online market,” the company said in a statement.

    The latest move reflects Shinsegae’s ambition to become the country’s top e-commerce company by gathering its scattered online businesses.

    Shinsegae Group in December spun off Emart Mall and Shinsegae Mall from Emart and Shinsegae. The board of directors in January voted to merge the two new entities.

    It has already been running SSG.com as an e-commerce website that offers access to its various online malls, but it is currently only a customer-facing interface, not a company in its own right.

    SSG.com’s sales goal for this year is 3.1 trillion won ($2.8 billion), which is 29.1 percent higher than the sales recorded by the online platform last year.

    The company hopes to reach its ambition through aggressive marketing, especially on raising the efficiency of delivery services.

    It will make a heavy investment on raising the delivery speed by establishing an additional distribution center in Gimpo, Gyeonggi. It will be the third distribution center, and is scheduled to open in the second half of this year.

    “With the official launch of SSG.com, we are getting ready to become the country’s top e-commerce enterprise,” said Choi in a statement.

    “Instead of just selling goods online, we are also planning to function as a ‘Linker’ by connecting consumers online and offline like [offering them the platform to] share their lifestyles on the internet.”

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  • India’s Tanishq brings its first Augmented Reality experience for its customers

    India’s Tanishq brings its first Augmented Reality experience for its customers

    From social media filters, to reshape the concept of traditional retail, Augmented Reality (AR) is rapidly growing in popularity because it brings elements of the virtual world, into the reality, thus enhancing the things we see, hear, and feel. AR has made retail engagement all the more experiential, fascinating and personal and it’s often considered to be in the middle of a mixed reality spectrum; between the real world and the virtual world.

    Tanishq has taken one step further to be more accessible to its customers by launching into the Augmented Reality experience at the Bangalore and Delhi airports. For the first time in India, a jewellery brand is doing an Augmented Reality/ hybrid reality (combination of physical space Augmented Reality) campaign at an airport to engage with a large audience at a completely new level. Tanishq is leaving no stone unturned to keep their customers happy by adopting innovative ways to display their product range.

    With this technological advancement, customers will have the option of ‘Try and Buy’; trying out the jewellery virtually looking at the AR screen. Customers can benefit from this advanced jewellery experience for a month starting from February 06, 2019 at Delhi airport and February 08, 2019 at Bangalore airport.

    Tanishq is implementing MirrAR, an Augmented Reality software platform in collaboration with StyleDotMe, a startup focused in innovative application of Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for providing the next generation experience to consumers who are interested in the Gems and Jewellery industry. Using the platform users can virtually try on the jewellery in real time, without actually having to wear them.

    Sharing her thoughts on the launch of AR experience, Deepika Tewari, Associate Vice President, Marketing, Jewellery Division at Titan Company Limited said, “Tanishq has always aimed at providing the best for our customers and this fascinating initiative is one such approach in achieving the objective. Consumers have the option of browsing through multiple jewellery pieces virtually with just one click. The real-time customer experience will definitely strengthen the retail connection between the brand and our esteemed consumers; a transformative step on how India will shop and purchase jewellery in the near future.”

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  • Japanese “Yama style” goes global

    Japanese “Yama style” goes global

    The “made in Japan” words on the label, for many people, have always been a guarantee of high quality. Even after the economic downturn and natural disasters,  Japanese still keep their quality and try their best to differentiate themselves through the attention to details. Their perseverance, loyalty to their country and respect for their traditional culture, have always been their strength.

    Unfortunately, today’s fashion industry pursues speed and high productivity. Thus, Japanese’s persistence seems to be easily overlooked. Although this is an irreversible condition in a money-orientated world, there are still some people who appreciate and value the spirit of the craftsmanship in Japan.

    Despite the fact that Japan is a modern country focusing on economic development, Japanese also focus on the pursuit of spirituality. There are Buddha followers, but also those ones who believe in gods behind the natural elements, such as mountains.

    In terms of geography, 70% of land in Japan is hill and mountains. Since the ancient times, fishermen regarded the hills as navigation coordinates. And for people who lived in the mountains, they saw mountains as resources for their lives, harvesting and hunting were their major activities to live on. Through worship of mountain gods, Japanese express their fear of nature as well as pray for peaceful life.

    Today, the Japanese government still shows respect towards mountains. In 2016, the government announced the Mountain Day, 11th August, as public holidays providing a chance for people to get closer to the mountains via hiking.

    Functional and practical with bright and unique colors

    Whenever a craze sweep the country,  Japanese will always concoct and create the relevant peripheral products and accessories. As a result, the “mountain fashion” was developed, which is the so-called Yama Style (Yama means mountain in Japanese), referring to the clothes that is suitable for hiking.

    Yama style emphasizes on integration with the natural environment, usually designed in gray black, dark green, yellow-brown and other earth tone colors. Additionally, it comes with an oversize coat or shawl in relatively bright color, to create a unique style.

    Integration of Art and Technology

    On the other hand, while Korean pop culture has been in the limelight internationally in recent years, the Japanese brand is still leading the world due to a number of Asian representatives who have a pivotal position in the high fashion.

    Since the 1980’s, Japanese have established a position in the international fashion trend, rooted their perception of fashion and influenced over the global fashion industry deeply.

    Due to the fashion industry values on materials, design, and details, Japanese fashion style still has their charm, followed by a lot of people around the world. Thus, many international fashion brands still love to work with Japanese brands, and launched a series of collaborations.

    In the recent years, Loewe, which has been known for its excellent quality, also seems to be paying tribute to Japanese culture and tradition. The new “Eye/Loewe/Nature” menswear series is inspired by nature, offering a range of clothes designed for outdoor activities with both practical and functional features as their selling points.

    Obviously, the design deliberately takes the ideas from the Yama style. Not only replacing the traditional outdoor clothing’s dark color with bright colors, but also having a great variety of styles and different layers. Thus, customer may easily match their outfit with different kinds of  clothes and practice different outdoor activities.

    In terms of accessories, the brand even changes the place of production from Spain to Japan, in order to combine their traditional craftsmanship with advanced technology.

    Undoubtedly, they see the advantages and market in the Japanese Yama style to feed  fashion industry with a new touch.

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  • H&M launches collection with artist Nathalie Lete

    H&M launches collection with artist Nathalie Lete

    H&M has unveiled a collaboration with Paris-based artist Nathalie Lete on a children’s clothing and accessories capsule collection. The collection, which will be available online and in selected stores worldwide from March 7, features several of Lete’s fantasy-land-inspired artworks as prints.

    The H&M collaboration is a childrenswear collection for babies and children with a wide range of t-shirts, jackets, jeans, dresses, jumpsuits, shorts and swimsuits. The colourful animal and floral prints created by artist Nathalie Lete start with paintings in acrylics by hand, which are then artfully arranged together to create an imaginative story. For this collaboration, Lete brought a tropical jungle to life with chameleons and tigers, along with her iconic representation of flowers with cats, birds and rabbits.

    “In my work, I create a fantasy land for myself,” said Lete. “A land that I want to share with other people to make them dream. It’s all about flowers, animals, birds, naivety and colors. I want to create a cocoon that brings happiness and harmony all around. The relationships between the different elements tells stories, stories that create a beautiful atmosphere. I ‘m happy to share my world through this collaboration, all around the world, together with H&M.”

    “Natalie Lete and her work is something we have admired for a long time, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with her for this kids’ collection,” said H&M kids’ division designer Jennifer Helmer.

    “The collection is playful and inviting and the pieces truly makes you feel like you’re in a botanical dream. We cannot wait to share this collection with our youngest fans.”

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  • Puma pips rivals, becomes top sportswear brand in India

    Puma pips rivals, becomes top sportswear brand in India

    German sportswear major Puma on Monday claimed that it has become the top sportswear retailer in India, surpassing rivals such as Nike, Adidas, Skechers and Reebok in terms of yearly sales. Puma, the third-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, has reported sales of Rs 1,157 crore for the 12-month period ending December 2018 against Rs 958 crore reported in the year ago period.

    The company follows the January-December calendar year, while its Nike, Adidas, Skechers and Reebok go by the April-March financial year (FY) cycle.

    In FY 2017-18, Puma’s compatriot Adidas had registered sales of Rs 1,132 crore, up from Rs 1,100 crore reported in FY 2016-17.

    During the same period, American sportswear giant Nike reported sales of Rs 828 crore against Rs 807 crore reported in the previous fiscal.

    Reebok, which is owned by Adidas, saw its sales drop from Rs 416 crore in FY 2016-17 to Rs 391 crore in FY 2017-18.

    Another American brand Skechers, which is relatively new in the Indian market, reported sales of Rs 440 crore in FY 2018-19, up from Rs 282 crore reported in FY2016-17.

    “We are making strong progress in both sports performance and sport style categories,” Puma India Managing Director Abhishek Ganguly was quoted as saying.

    Interestingly, India is the only country where Puma’s sales have crossed the sales of other sportswear giants such as Adidas and Nike.

    Over the past few years, India has rapidly caught up with the wider global fitness trends. From 2015 to 2016, the Indian sportswear market grew 22 per cent, outpacing the segment’s global increase of 7 per cent, according to Euromonitor International. By 2020, it is expected to grow an additional 12 per cent CAGR (compound annual growth rate) with sales expected to reach $8 billion.

    The bitter rivalry between Puma and Adidas goes beyond mere corporate competition. It was in fact a sibling fallout that created two of the world’s biggest sportswear brands.

    In the 1920s, German brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler launched a shoe company together. Their business picked up after Dassler shoes were used by medal-winning Olympians through out the 1930s.

    But along with sales, tension also spiked between the Dassler brothers, which reached a boiling point during World War II. While it was not clear what exactly caused the rift, it was said to be a result of miscommunication.

    The brothers eventually split in 1947 with Rudolf forming a new firm that he called Ruda – from Rudolf Dassler – later rebranded Puma, while Adolf, who preferred to be called Adi, named his business Adidas.

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  • CaratLane: 10 years of transforming jewellery in India

    CaratLane: 10 years of transforming jewellery in India

    When Mithun Sacheti founded CaratLane 10 years ago, e-commerce was at its infancy in India and no one could have imagined that Indian consumers would be ready to buy jewellery online. CaratLane was founded with a mission to democratise jewellery – to make beautiful jewellery accessible and affordable and with designs that are modern and wearable. A refreshing and courageous objective at the time, especially since the avenues for an online business weren’t as wide open then as they are today.

    CaratLane hasn’t looked back since then. It has grown from being one of India’s first online jewellery brands to being one of India’s largest new age jewellery brands now with 50 stores across the country.

    On the special occasion of CaratLane’s 10th birthday, Mithun said “The world has indeed changed in the past ten years. And while e-commerce has now become widely accepted in India, it has taken steady and sustained focus to democratise jewellery-buying online. From a website for easy shopping to allowing women to explore jewellery through apps to discovering interactive mirrors and providing a no-barrier access to precious jewellery in stores, CaratLane has transformed jewellery-buying in India.”

    “Our strong online footprint is now complemented by our growing store presence. With 50 stores across the country, we are now perhaps the world’s first truly omni-channel jewellery brand. It wouldn’t have been possible without our extremely valuable and loyal customers and an extremely dedicated team who would stop at nothing,” he added.

    As a part of the celebrations, CaratLane has added limited edition jewellery to three of its bestselling collections – Butterfly, Aaranya and Gold Lace. It has also launched its biggest sale ever with flat 20 percent off on all diamond jewellery but that’s not all, there are many more exciting offers for CaratLane customers.

    CaratLane, has also launched an upbeat film to create buzz around its 10th birthday celebrations. The campaign rolled out nationally with a combination of TV, digital and CaratLane’s social media channels. The film is targeted towards creating FOMO (fear of missing out) on its celebrations, among its audience.

    Talking about the campaign Atul Sinha, Senior Vice President Marketing, CaratLane said, “We’ve come a long way since our inception and we wanted to celebrate this milestone with the people who made it all possible – Our customers. The ‘10th birthday’ campaign film beautifully captures our excitement as well as the cheerful emotion that we’re trying to build around the occasion through our biggest sale ever.”

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  • OnTheList to launch in Taiwan

    OnTheList to launch in Taiwan

    Founded in 2016, OnTheList is a members-based flash sale company that offers premium goods at unbeatable prices. As of March 2017, OnTheList has called its showroom on Duddell Street, home. In 2018, OnTheList opened pop-up showrooms in Hong Kong, launched in Singapore, and is now ready to expand into other countries in Asia.

    In 2019, OnTheList is jetting off to another Asian city to host the first Flash Sale in Taiwan in March.

  • CLUSE opens its very first monobrand store in Taiwan

    CLUSE opens its very first monobrand store in Taiwan

    The Amsterdam-based watch brand renowned for its timeless sophistication and strong focus on materials, quality, and style has just opened its first monobrand store in Taiwan in partnership with Bluebell. This CLUSE monobrand POS is a rotating pop-up in partnership with Eslite, which aims to attract visitors from different cities in Taiwan. This month the pop-up stops at the Eslite Taichung Parklane by CMP Store, 1F.

    CLUSE, created in Amsterdam in 2013 by a team of young and ambitious individuals, is a fast-growing watch brand for the modern and fashionable woman.

    Named after “Cluses”, one of the oldest watchmaking towns in France, CLUSE is able to combine a modern, minimalistic, and elegant design yet remaining faithful to its heritage by crafting authentic, quality analogue timepieces.

    CLUSE was discovered at an early stage by the fashion-loving crowd on social media, and among others, it has acquired worldwide fame on Instagram and Facebook, being recognized as a successful Facebook story for its effective digital marketing strategies.

    Thanks to the profound in-house knowledge of Social Media marketing, a data-driven approach and a clear customer profile based on campaign data, CLUSE has managed to grow to a staggering 1.6 million Facebook fans and 700K Instagram followers within 3 years.

    This success is boosted by CLUSE’s brand ambassadors who are recognized among the most influential kol worldwide like @sincerelyjules and @retroflame who live their life with the same philosophy of the brand.

    Drawing inspiration from minimalist fashion and subtle colours, CLUSE represents the mentality of simplicity of being grounded, empowered, sophisticated and true to oneself.

    CLUSE is designed not only to indicate time, but also to define the best moments in life.

    CLUSE is designed for dynamic and versatile women. One CLUSE watch allows infinite possibilities thanks to the mix&match easily interchangeable straps.

    CLUSE has soon become the most popular lifestyle watch brand in Europe and invested into a high-end network of distributors.

    After expanding in Europe, CLUSE has quickly conquered millennials in different countries, and it led to simultaneously launch in wholesale in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and wholesale and mono-brand stores in Hong Kong, Singapore, and now Taiwan.

    The latest collection is La Tétragone (this new classic square shape design launched in SS18), and Triomphe (also launched in SS18).

    Following the success of CLUSE timepieces, the brand has started a new adventure into jewelry. Three collections have been created Essentielle, Idylle, and Amourette to translated unique personalities into unique pieces.

    CLUSE is definitely a brand to keep an eye on, strong brand identity,  effective digital marketing strategy, and an army of influencers boosting its brand image.

  • Foot Locker boosts capital expansion

    Foot Locker boosts capital expansion

    Foot Locker has announced a US$275 million capital expenditure program for this year, with Asia singled out as a target market. The investment is $75 million more than the US-headquartered sports-shoe and apparel retailer allowed for last year. “The capital spending planned for this year reflects increased investments in the company’s store fleet in all existing regions, including Asia, and in its digital initiatives,” the company said in a statement.

    “In addition, the company will continue to spend capital to build out its supply chain and other infrastructure capabilities.”

    Chairman and CEO Richard Johnson said Foot Locker sees “exciting opportunities” to invest in the business this year. The capital commitment followed decisions to launch a share buy-back program and to pay a dividend to shareholders.

    “Taken together, these actions demonstrate that our board is confident that Foot Locker can simultaneously deliver strong financial results, invest in the long-term growth of the business, and provide meaningful returns to our shareholders,” he said.

    Foot Locker currently operates 3221 stores in 27 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

    In Singapore, Foot Locker opened three stores last year, in Jem Mall, Century Square and Suntec City.

  • Warm weather blamed for worsening Bossini International loss

    Warm weather blamed for worsening Bossini International loss

    An unseasonably warm winter and weak consumer sentiment in core markets has been blamed for a more than doubling of losses for Bossini International in the six months to December. The casual-fashion retailer reported a 10 per cent decline in group revenue to HK$875 million (US$111.5 million) and a 5 per cent drop in same-store sales for the period. Gross profit fell 11 per cent and the loss attributable to shareholders ballooned from $12 million in the same period a year earlier to $26 million (US$3.3 million).

    Operating profit in the key Hong Kong and Macau market, where Bossini has 39 stores, improved, despite a 5 per cent decline in same-store sales.

    In Singapore, sales plummeted 23 per cent due to store closures. Same-store sales there fell by 6 per cent, in Taiwan by 7 per cent and in Mainland China by 3 per cent. Group-wide same-store sales fell by 5 per cent, worse than the 2 per cent of the December 2017 half.

    As at the end of last year, Bossini International had a total net retail floor area for directly managed stores of 362,000sqft, about 4000sqft less than a year earlier, across 295 stores, (11 more than a year earlier). It opened 114 franchised stores in markets outside Hong Kong and Macau, taking the total franchised network to 768.

    Hong Kong challenge

    Bossini chairman Man Kuen Bess Tsin said the significant decline in retail sales growth in Hong Kong since July and the negative impact of the devaluation of the Renminbi had impacted on the company’s sales in its home market, which accounts for 66 per cent of group revenue.

    “The Hong Kong retail market presented a cautious optimism if not a mixed picture. Strong inbound tourism, especially from Mainland China, was recorded in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, the consumption per capita started to drop in the third quarter, despite the annually increasing numbers of tourist arrivals in Hong Kong.”

    The group’s total net retail floor area in Hong Kong and Macau reduced from 125,800sqft to 121,600sqft, a decrease of 3 per cent, while sales per square foot slipped 5 per cent to $7200 (from $7600). Operating profit in Hong Kong and Macau was $17 million, up from $12 million for an operating margin of 3 per cent (compared with 2 per cent a year earlier).

    Mainland China revenue decreased 2 per cent.

    Bossini Singapore posted an operating loss of 5 million, 20 per cent more than the comparable period and the operating margin was negative 9 per cent.

    Cautious outlook

    Tsin said Bossini International management is “cautiously optimistic” about the year ahead.

    “However, in face of the complex and volatile global economy and geopolitics, the outlook is full of uncertainties. As an open economy, Hong Kong is particularly vulnerable to the impact of the global situation. At the same time, the local economy and consumption structure are also gradually changing.

    Challenges and opportunities coexist. The group is fundamentally strong with a healthy financial position, which is capable of facing the potential challenges.”

    Tsin said the export franchising business is a main focus of the group.

    “We will further expand and optimise the distribution network, leveraging the economy of scale in market reach and profitability.”

    The company will focus on introducing more new products and designs, with a focus on functionality at the core of its product strategy. Alongside the young adult segment, the company will develop more childrenswear lines to broaden its customer base and it will strengthen supply chain management to improve operational efficiencies.

  • India’s yogi to open clothing stores

    India’s yogi to open clothing stores

    Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev is making moves into fashion through his firm Patanjali. The brand plans to launch 100 exclusive clothing stores with e-commerce support across India by next year. It is also seeking to open small venues in metropolitan areas. Twenty stores are expected to be operational by the end of this year in cities such as Jaipur, Agra, Patna and Nasik.

    A recent ad campaign for the Baba Ramdev brand sought to “create a movement towards embracing and embodying Indian fashion,” according to a report.

    The firm’s flagship in New Delhi sells around 3000 items under three distinct sub-brands, which will be made available on Amazon, Flipkart and Paytm under the new expansion drive.

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  • Footasylum shares soar after JD Sports takes stake

    Footasylum shares soar after JD Sports takes stake

    Shares in Footasylum soared after British retailer JD Sports said it had acquired an 8.3 percent stake and could buy nearly 30 percent of its smaller rival. JD, which has used a number of corporate acquisitions to assemble its network of more than 2,400 stores over the past two decades, said that it “confirms it is not intending to make an offer for Footasylum” under merger regulations.

    But investors drove shares in the company, which is listed on the secondary market of the London Stock Exchange, rose 58.6 percent to 46 pence in the first hour of trading.

    Footasylum, started by JD Sports co-founder David Makin in 2005, was forced to cut prices at its 60 stores after a disappointing run up to Christmas which saw British consumers rein in spending.

    It now competes with JD Sports, Sports Direct and Asos among others, which are all feeling the impact of sluggish British consumer spending amid squeezed household incomes and uncertainty ahead of Britain’s impending exit from the European Union.

    Makin and fellow JD Sports founder John Wardle were bought out by the company’s current majority owners Pentland Group in 2005 and later resigned as directors.

    Footasylum said in January its full-year core earnings would come in at the lower end of analysts’ estimates.

    JD Sports shares were up about 1 percent at 454.03 pence.

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  • Armani’s pop-up opens in Thailand

    Armani’s pop-up opens in Thailand

    Giorgio Armani beauty announces the opening of its itinerant pop-up store ARMANI BOX in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand. The opening of ARMANI BOX BANGKOK was celebrated on February 11th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an exclusive event in the presence of influencers from Thailand and China. During the event, the design of ARMANI BOX BANGKOK was revealed: with its hot red walls and black lighting fixtures, it is full of surprises. A giant gorilla, Uri, welcomes visitors as they enter the store: created by Italian artist Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba, the full-sized golden gorilla is a replica of the black one that resides in Giorgio Armani’s home in Milan. “This resin gorilla is a gift that came from a movie set. He’s called Uri”.

    It is hard to think about Giorgio Armani without bringing cinematic images to mind. The new ARMANI BOX experience allows the visitor to become a movie star with a series of details to explore: from the Walk of Fame digital handprint, to the backstage makeup stations, as well as a red carpet indicating the way. Visitors can also film their very own screen test, entering a director’s booth and playing with their emotions; portrait photos and videos will be available to keep, share and post online.

    The ARMANI BOX is a sensorial and playful immersion in Giorgio Armani beauty’s universe. Visitors can discover product exclusives included a limited edition version of its new lip product Rouge d’Armani Matte #400, and personalize their products with engraving.

  • Life after Karl Lagerfeld

    Life after Karl Lagerfeld

    Chanel has named Virginie Viard, Karl Lagerfeld’s closest collaborator for more than 30 years, as its new creative director, the French fashion house said in a statement following the death of the legendary designer. The move muffled speculation over whether Chanel might seek out another big name to replace Lagerfeld, who was 85 years old. Potential successors often cited by industry observers over the years included Hedi Slimane, now ensconced at Celine, as well as Phoebe Philo, the designer he replaced there, and Alber Elbaz, formerly of Lanvin.

    Those designers would likely have sought to bring their own vision to one of the world’s biggest luxury brands, with $9.6 billion in sales in 2017. Instead, Chanel’s owners, the billionaire Wertheimer family, emphasised continuity in appointing Viard, who the brand said in a statement had been “entrusted by chief executive Alain Wertheimer with the creative work for the collections, so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on.” The decision is in character for the Wertheimers, who waited 12 years after Gabrielle Chanel died in 1971 before appointing Lagerfeld in 1983.

    Viard, who has been called “Karl’s secret weapon,” joined Chanel as an intern in haute-couture embroidery in 1987, four years after Lagerfeld became creative director of the brand. (She was recommended for the job by a chamberlain of Prince Rainier of Monaco.) After working together at Chanel, Viard joined Lagerfeld at Chloé in 1992 — where he was also the head designer — and worked there for five years before returning to Chanel and working her way up to become director of the company’s fashion design studio.

    “Virginie is the most important person, not only for me but also for the atelier, for everything,” Lagerfeld said in a Netflix documentary released in 2018. “She is my right arm and even if I don’t see her, we are on the phone all the time.”

    Still, Viard remained largely in the shadow of her larger-than-life boss. “I hate being in the spotlight,” she said last year.

    In recent seasons, she began taking a bow with Lagerfeld at the end of each Chanel show, including the Chanel Métiers d’Art show in New York in December 2018, which marked the designer’s final runway appearance. At the end of Chanel’s haute couture show in January 2019, Viard stepped out solo to take a bow, raising concerns about Lagerfeld’s health and prompting the brand to issue a press release.

    Other fashion houses have tapped studio heads who have demonstrated their ability to channel a departed designer’s vision after their deaths, most notably Sarah Burton, the late Alexander McQueen’s right-hand, who was named creative director of the London-based fashion house after McQueen’s suicide in 2010.

    LVMH-owned Italian house Fendi, where Lagerfeld was the artistic director of women’s ready-to-wear and couture collections, has yet to announce a succession plan, saying it intends to take its time to pay the designer the homage he deserves. Fendi is to present Lagerfeld’s last collection on Thursday in Milan.

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