March, 3rd, 2013

MODE À PARIS | AH1314 | Crescen do. Stacca to. | MAXIME SIMOENS

Maxime completed apprenticeships chez Dior, Elie Saab, Balenciaga and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Luxury goods powerhouse LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuit ton has acquired a stake in the business founded by French couture designer Maxime Simoens. Bernard Arnault said it has bought the interest with a view to supporting the development of the “young and talented” designer.

“I welcome the support of luxury products group LVMH. It will enable us to develop the creative vision I have for the business on the international stage. Within this new context we will be presenting our ready- to-wear collection for the first time on 3 March 2013,” Simoens said in a statement.

At the end of January 2013, LVMH reported that its full-year profit rose as the Louis Vuit ton br and reported another record year of sales. Net profit grew 13% during 2012 to EUR5.9bn, while total revenue was up 19% to EUR28.1bn.

We believe Maxime Simoens should have been, and we publicly said it, the creative designer chez Dior, instead of Raf Simons. Nothing against Mr. Simons, loin s’en faut, just a strategy of rejuvenation that LVMH seemed to deviate from, when PPR is in facts on the verge of completing the change of its “creative fleets” from Saint Laurent, to Balenciaga, en passant par Sergio Rossi.