IN PRINT: Citizen Kane – Christopher Kane - Men's Folio
Interview

IN PRINT: Citizen Kane – Christopher Kane

  • By Men's Folio

In Print Citizen Kane Christopher Kane 3

November 2012. Nicolas Ghesquiere’s surprise departure from the legendary French house, Balenciaga after a 15-year tenure fuelled speculation in the blogosphere and Twitterverse. Rumours were rife that Scottish hotshot Christopher Kane was poised to fill the vacuum. Barely a month later, American wunderkind, Alexander Wang was ushered in as Ghesquiere’s successor. But what would become of Kane? His start was still burning bright. The rumour mill began churning again. Then in January 2013, Kering officially announced that it was acquiring a 51 percent stake of the Christopher Kane label, finally putting to rest all speculation.

Francois-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, whose stable of brands includes Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta and Gucci lauded Kane’s skill, “Christopher is truly a great talent who has shown a real sense of modernity in the way he mixes elegance and subtle constructions. I am delighted that Christopher Kane is joining Kering’s portfolio of luxury brands and working with us to further develop its business as a global luxury brand.”

“We were very excited (about the acquisition),” enthused Kane in an e-mail interview. “(Kering) respects our creative vision and they have the expertise and experience to help us build the Christopher Kane brand globally.”

The high-profile buyout is just the latest in the series of successes that Kane has achieved in his young career. Besides heading Versace’s sister line, Versus from 2009 to 2012, he has also produced successful capsule collections with high-street chain, Topshop, Japanese cosmetics company, Shiseido and premium denim producer, J Brand. His menswear stockists have expanded significantly over the years and now includes influential American and British retailers like Matches and Opening Ceremony, as well as innovative e-commerce leaders such as oki-ni and Yoox. And his signature printed T-shirts are worn by style independents such as hip-hop artist, Wil.i.am and actor, Russell Brand.

“Our brand has and always will stand out among others. It’s in the brand’s DNA to always look forward.” – Christopher Kane

The full article was featured in the May13 issue.