2Jour Notes

• The concept of what luxury is hasn’t exactly acquired a new meaning, but it’s definitely gaining new layers. Brands are now facing a complex positioning challenge, and when I watch at yet another financial report or investors’ meeting, I realize that the industry still struggles to shift from the notion of “desirability” toward broader definitions. I see that as a problem.

• Fashion was invented to signal status; bluntly speaking, the wealthy created it to distinguish themselves from the poor. The latter, in turn, spent centuries trying to imitate it to gain access to a world that remained closed to them. That status is something many people want to broadcast. However, with the rise of social media—where the image often doesn’t match reality—the true markers of status are no longer clothes and bags but rather real estate, luxury cars, travel, and even silence. Naturally, this affects fashion sales. I…

I have a lot to say about Saint Laurent. It’s one of my favorite brands when it comes to RTW, and I’ve been following it since the Stefano Pilati era.

Speaking of him, I recently re-read an old interview where he expressed frustration over management insisting that bags be shown on the runway. Interestingly, even though he disliked the idea of showcasing bags on the runway, they were still there. Commercially, it makes sense. Featuring a bag on the runway significantly boosts interest in it.

What’s the brand’s problem today? If we set aside the phrase “sequential deceleration” from Kering Q1 2025 presentation (what does it even mean?), SL is clearly in sales decline trend—while holding a significant potential.

• Bags exist separately from fashion

Their design carries a clearly aspirational appeal but doesn’t continue the story seen on the runway. That’s why you don’t see them there anymore—check the recent shows. If I…

I spotted yet another guest in a Saint Laurent suit in the society pages and realized something interesting. This suit works well for public figures and editorials thanks to its clear statement and memorable visual appeal.

But it’s not flexible at all. For a client outside the world of society columns—where many guests wear brand-loaned looks—or beyond the pages of glossy magazines, there’s no option to adapt it to themselves. It’s either that exact styling or the concept is lost. The brand didn’t provide that flexibility on the runway, in merchandising, or through wholesalers.

In commercial terms, the target audience for a piece like this (core piece in the collection) is extremely limited. It appeals either to those who already love this style or to those the brand has managed to influence. Influencing a solvent audience (retail price is around £2,465 for jacket and £1,180 for pants) confident in their own taste?…

Eyewear remains one of the few categories that manages to stay afloat in uncertain times. This is primarily due to its accessible price point for a broad audience.

Currently, there are three major players dominating the luxury eyewear market:

1) EssilorLuxottica

The company offers a comprehensive range of products: prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and ophthalmic lenses. It represents both proprietary and licensed brands (including Prada, Miu Miu, Brunello Cucinelli, Chanel, Moncler, Ralph Lauren.

2) Kering Eyewear

Kering Eyewear, founded in 2014, was one of only two segments to show positive growth within the troubled Kering Group in 2024, recording +8% comparable change YoY (the other one is Bottega Veneta with +6%).

Psychologically, when a person tries to take up more space, it’s often an attempt to assume a position of power and assert dominance. There’s even a term for it — manspreading: when a man (as it’s usually a man) sits with legs wide apart and takes up too much space on public transport.

The current Saint Laurent collection, according to SL creative director Anthony Vaccarello in Vogue Runway, “is about control, and power, in a way.” He deliberately stepped away from the overused “a tuxedo for a woman which was worn naked underneath” (overused, but still no-lose combination I must say). Instead, he offered his vision of something “more strict” — oversized tailoring styles with shirts and ties, very reminiscent of 1980s men’s fashion.

I often browse the brand’s official website — Saint Laurent remains one of my personal favorites in RTW. In the lookbook available there, the backstage photos…

Yesterday, I was passing by Gucci. I saw how fast the burgundy set sold out in the EIP preview at Net-a-Porter, and when I touched it on the mannequin, I felt a proper cotton top and great woolen pants (this set seems to be proclaimed as a collection star, so mannequins at Gucci locations all around London are dressed in the very same shirt and trousers). I then stopped near another window with a grass-green set. It looked good. I was skeptical about the collection, but after it started appearing online and I had a second glimpse after the runway presentation, it felt good.

I was skeptical about Sabato De Sarno as well. Mostly because of the positioning—it felt wrong when he had a long vanity fair walk after the shows, it felt wrong to see dedicated films about him. It felt wrong because there was no tangible result of…