French luxury conglomerate signs up Scottish designer Christopher Kane's label, with plans for a standalone store
In the ruthlessly unsentimental fashion industry the road from next big thing to the real-life big time is paved with the names of those who never made it. But Christopher Kane, the 30-year-old Scottish star of London fashion week, has defeated the odds with the signing of a deal with French luxury conglomerate PPR which marks safe passage of the first and most perilous stage of the journey from prospect to success.
PPR, which owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent and has controlling stakes in Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, has announced the purchase of a 51% stake in Kane, whose designs have been worn by the Duchess of Cambridge and Samantha Cameron.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the investment represents a rapid change of gear for Kane's label. It is currently run by Kane alongside his sister and long-term collaborator Tammy, with 26 employees based out of a Dalston studio. PPR's plans for the label include the opening of a first standalone store, most likely in London in 2014; a secondary or "diffusion" line with a more affordable price point; and expansion in the lucrative accessories sector.
The deal comes after a series of rumours linking the designer to PPR, with Kane's name mentioned as a contender for the design post at Balenciaga, another PPR company, before Alexander Wang was given the job.
The success of Kane's new venture will be closely watched at what is a time of soul-searching for the fashion industry. In the fallout from the Galliano scandal of 2011, there has been criticism of the pressure put on designers working in the luxury industry to meet the ever-increasing demands of a marketplace which has become exponentially wider in global reach while simultaneously faster in turnaround. Both PPR and Kane were keen to emphasise that the deal will not affect the character of the label. "We … have great ambitions for the brand and will enable it to benefit from our expertise and know-how, while providing the space for it to further develop its own creative identity," said François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive of PPR.
In an email to the Guardian, Kane added: "The reason we entered into this partnership deal with PPR is because they champion our creative independence and want to grow the business organically. We have a clear vision of what we want the company to be and PPR will help us realise that." As to what changes the deal would bring in the short term, Kane specified "none at all. It is business as usual. Eventually, Tammy will help more on the creative side as we slowly phase in more management."
Kane, whose current womenswear collection draws on inspiration ranging from Frankenstein to the ornate ironwork found on the bridges in London's Victoria Park, stopped short of ruling out a move from showcasing at London fashion week to an alternative city in the future, but described the capital as "our home and the place we will build our business globally".
Historically, British designers in whom PPR have invested – including Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen – have moved their catwalk shows to Paris fashion week as part of the deal. Kane's ambitions in the fashion world began early. Aged 12, he saved up his pocket money to help his sister Tammy, five years his senior, buy a Versace dress for her school leaving party. At Central Saint Martins his talent was immediately noticed; on winning the Harrods Design award with his final collection, his stretch-lace dresses were given space in the windows of the Knightsbridge store. His fiercely glamorous aesthetic won him a powerful mentor in Donatella Versace, who hired him for a three-year stint designing her diffusion line, Versus.
market. More than a decade later, the no-leather policy remains in place.Kane's next show will take place during London fashion week on 18 February.