People are always looking for the next Donna, the next Ralph, or the next Calvin. (sorry Tommy, we never consider you a fashion designer) but no one ever acknowledge that there may not be a next big fashion business bearing a designer’s name. Consider this: after the big 3, name another designer with his/her business over 1 billion dollars. The answer is: 0. It’s very typical of fashion to prefer the system to remain unchanged.

Let’s look at new york. Marc? His business is tiny comparing to Louis Vuitton. Micheal Kors? Those old Tommy business guys, Lawrence and Silas, brought Kors 6 years ago and proclaimed it will be a billion dollar business. They are stuck at the middle. Our personal favorite: Narciso Rodriguez? Liz Claiborne brought 50% for a mere 10 million, then return it back to the designer late last year. We assume for much less. Then we have those wunderkind kids one after another; remember Zack? What about Jeffery Chow? It’s ok, because now we have the Wangs and the Wus. But would they be like Calvin?

Yes, some designers would claim that they would like to remain small and ‘intimate’. Fine, but you should also know that we are some of the most egotistical creatures. We want fame, money, and sway, in that order. To drive any real influence, one will need to reach the mass (say hi to Issac Mizrahi). To do that, you need cold hard cash. A billion of it.

What companies blew up so big in the part 10 years? Juicy. Sven. Zara. H&M.

Can we see a pattern and the future here?

Written by (angry) deacon on Next.FashionIndie