sitting uncomfortably
THE fashion industry is ablaze with speculation of lay-offs, high-level firings and drastic cutbacks. And as usual, there are as many denials as rumours. But first, some good news: the much-respected Mimi Pun, lately of HPL-21 (Singaporean retail baroness Christina Ong's operation) and Joyce before that, has become managing director for Gucci Hong Kong and China. Pun officially started with Gucci on June 1.
But there have been a couple of departures - nobody is saying why - in the retail and merchandising divisions at Dior. Those positions, for anyone sending out CVs, are not currently being filled. That is also the position at Chanel, where the general manager for boutiques job remains unoccupied.
And still with Chanel: talk in the industry was that the chi-chi French brand was considering moving out of its swish Landmark offices in favour of Quarry Bay. But a spokesman said emphatically: 'No, we are not moving.' Not that anyone should become too comfortable in their positions: many key fashion executives admit to being jittery about their jobs. And here's what has really changed: it now takes more than a pretty face and social connections to find or keep work in this town. As one industry insider said: 'No more princesses allowed.' on the ball SO WHILE some are cutting back (one big fashion brand has just been told its charity budget for 1998 has been shelved altogether), others are trying to do their bit. It seems some of Dickson Poon's legendary gung-ho attitude in the face of all this retail sadness has rubbed off on the comely Louise Kou, Escada's managing director for Asia, who has taken on sponsorship of the Hong Kong Ballet Ball. The Munich-based fashion empire has agreed to be the primary sponsor of the event, traditionally one of the most prestigious on the social circuit. Included will be, of course, an Escada couture show. These things usually cost a sponsor anything from $500,000 to $2 million, but Kou is keeping mum about how much Escada is shelling out.
'Let's just say I'm doing it in a very reasonable way - it's not a big splash,' she said.
Like most other fashion brands, Escada - from its couture down to its sports lines - is offering 40 per cent off summer collections ... even at its fine new Prince's Building store.
master plan ART collector Eric Smulders of Master Paintings is ignoring the retail blues by going ahead with plans for an exhibition at the China Club next week. Smulders says the show will replace, in a way, the cancelled Hong Kong International Art Fair - the main difference being that the fair was to have had lots of exhibitors. Master Paintings will have precisely one. Anyway, on show will be European Masters dating from the 17th century. Prices run from about $40,000 to about $3 million. The three-day event, from Thursday to Saturday, will also include a charity Chinese banquet chaired by Alice Chiu. But proceedings have been dampened slightly by a 'miscommunication' between Master Paintings and the people at Dior. Invitations have gone out boasting, 'Decorations by Dior', but a spokesman for the French fashion house said: 'We are not going to be involved with this.' It's not a budget thing, he said, just a matter of 'nothing in this benefiting us'.