School Assignment
{ Week #3 - Current Designers }
by Luisa Zargani
Source: WWD - Issue 04/20/2011
Summary: Gianfranco Ferré's new owner, Paris Group, has let go of the brand's creative directors Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi.
Sources say that sales were not going well and that could have been the
reason behind dismissing the two.
An anonymous retailer was also quoted saying, "We bought a minimal
amount of the collection for the sake of carrying the brand, but
there simply were not enough samples. There was almost no daywear
and evening wear was fairy tale, like something for the Oscars.
It may work for a small, niche brand, but not for such a global brand."
Ferré's suffering sales are nothing new since the death
of their designer, Michele Giglio, in June 2007.
She was a owner of seven boutiques in Palermo, Italy,
and was a fan of Aquilano and Rimondi's work.
Michele believed that they were very talented but they had not
had their chance yet to express it due to the fact that they
were asked to revisit Ferré's archives.
"Ferré died bringing his art and hertiage with him, and it's a
mistake to continue following old patterns. Companies should have
the courage to keep the brand but do something else
and entirely different, maybe adding no more than one
or two iconic items to the collection," said Giglio.
She cited Dior as an example and what John Galliano did with
the brand before he was disgraced.
Sources believe that the company may take a season off
and have an in-house team design the men's collection that is due
to be out between May and June.
As for Aquilano and Rimondi no one is too sure but
they have had success in the past creating their own line, 6267,
which was launched in 2004 and renamed Aquilano.Rimondi in 2008.
So hopefully they will be able to pick-up and start again.
Great collection. :)
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