“The leading companies that hold iconic fashion houses are a lot of things; they’re the zeitgeist and interpretation; they are style, art, a form of expression and undoubtedly, they are the business, a real deal. There are countless companies that help shape this industry, but only a few hold massive impact and help fuel the dream.”

 

OTB GROUP

Founded in 2002 and chaired by Renzo Rosso, OTB or Only the Brave, as its name suggests, houses brands that are recognised as unconventional by individualistic consumers. It all started when Renzo Rosso, co-founder of Diesel (who eventually took full control of the brand) acquired Staff International in 2000, which currently holds global production and distribution license agreements with brands like Marni Men, Dsquared2, Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs Men, Just Cavalli, Vivienne Westwood Red Label and Man. Then in 2002, OTB was created and Rosso became the majority shareholder of Maison Margiela.

The group then later acquires Viktor & Rolf, Marni and Paula Cademartori further, solidifying its distinctive niche in the industry. Wanting to give back and contribute to the overall advancement of society, OTB funds initiatives from projects that contribute to sustainable development of disadvantaged areas and people, to the preservation of Italy’s artistic, cultural, and artisanal heritage such as the restoration of the Venice Rialto Bridge.

KERING GROUP

We all know that one group can’t monopolise all that is good; so, here, we have another French holding company, Kering. Previously known as Pinault-Printemps-Redoute or PPR, it is headquartered in Paris and was founded by François Pinault as Pinault group in 1963. Kering was originally a building materials business specialising in timber. Through the years, their portfolio grew and included companies that specialised in kitchen & office furniture, and wood panel makers, which were then later sold in the ‘90s.

The ‘90s was a busy time which made a huge impact on what Kering is today. The group entered the retail sector with the acquisition of Conforama – a home furnishing retail chain. A year and a name change later, the Pinault group took over Au Printemps SA, which held 54% of La Redoute – a multi-line retailer specialising in ready-to-wear apparel and home decor, and was then known as Pinault-Printemps Group. After another name change and even more investments – in home shopping, a pharmaceutical, sport-centric stores, and the creation of Orcanta a women’s luxury chain – the group finally entered the luxury sector by acquiring 42% of Gucci Group NV. Through the Gucci Group, the foundation of a multi-brand luxury goods group were built with the acquisition by Gucci Group of Yves Saint Laurent, YSL Beauté and Sergio Rossi.

Like LVMH, Kering has impacted our lives through iconic brands with their portfolio including the likes of Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Boucheron. They have sectioned off their groups into two: the Luxury Division – an ensemble of luxury brands providing leather goods, ready-to-wear, jewellery and watches – and the Sport & Lifestyle Division – a collection of sport and lifestyle brands, providing equipment and clothing for athletics, action and outdoor sports such as Puma and Volcom. Interestingly, the Kering group played a role in Alexander McQueen’s rebellion against Givenchy, where he was creative director and constantly complained about the constraints in his creativity by selling 51% of Alexander McQueen to PPR (Kering).

LVMH MOËT HENNESSY LOUIS VUITTON SE

LVMH, the largest luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris is led by taste-maker Bernard Arnault – its CEO and Chairman. It is basically the richest man in France. It was formed in 1987 by the merger of Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy.LVMH has found its way into your life with its 70 houses – your mom’s Bulgari B.Zero1 ring and her Dior Diorama in black grained calfskin, your favourite Cèline sunglasses that goes well with your Loewe Puzzle Bag, that video you saw and shared from Nowness, or probably through a glass of Belvedere vodka you had last Friday, and all the way down to the last Sephora you visited to replenish your stock of Guerlain Météorites and Benefit Benetint. This corporation basically holds a huge portion of fashion and luxury industry. Okay, maybe it’s all a little too much to grasp in one article, but let’s simply say that because the first milestone that has made LVMH what it is today dates back to 1593, its profile and history are quite complex. To put a little more structure, these 70 houses are divided into six business sectors: wines and spirits, fashion and leather goods, perfumes and cosmetics, watches and jewellery, selective retailing, and other activities.

The successful integration of these aspirational brands is attributed to the fact that they are all developed with respect to each brand’s unique identity, history and autonomy, while still being in tune with modernity. Aside from this, they all have one thing in common: exceptional savoir-faire, where you know the craftsmanship is a priority. There is a constant misconception about LVMH and one of its famous houses, Dior – well, at least to those who are less-versed with the business side of fashion — given the name LVMH, Dior would usually be lumped in with the rest of the brands, which is technically incorrect. The actual ownership structure puts Christian Dior S.A. through Financière Jean Goujon, which they own 100% as the main holding company of LVMH, owning 42.42% of LVMH’s share capital. It also represents approximately 59.52% of the voting rights of LVMH. So what exactly does this give Christian Dior? One thing is that it gives them immunity from LVMH’s financial sector and can’t be told about how they spend their budgets.

COMPAGNIE FINANCIÈRE RICHEMONT SA

Having particular strengths in jewellery, luxury watches and premium accessories, Switzerland-based Richemont was founded in 1988 by South African Johann Rupert. According to The New York Times, it is the “world’s second-largest luxury goods conglomerate by market value”. First on the list would be LVMH. Johann Rupert founded the company after the spinoff of international assets of a company founded by his father in the 1940s, Rembrandt Group Ltd. (now Remgro Limited). The initial group of Richemont subsidiaries were formed by the luxury goods investments of Rembrandt Group together with Rothmans International.

For Richemont, its maisons – that have almost all been in existence for over a century – are its most important assets, which includes the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Azzedine Alaïa, Montblanc and Purdey – specialising in traditional firearms and ammunition based in London. Richemont has compelled recognition by highly curating its portfolio brands with discriminating taste; according to their perspective, “whether they are linked to privilege and patrimony or associated with the idea of elegance and distinction, our brands impose themselves as essential brands in their respective field of expertise.” In recent years they established a joint venture with Ralph Lauren, bringing forth Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co. and also invested in the Yoox Net-a-Porter Group.