Marc&Nbsp; Jacobs Group CEO Involved In Scandal
Note: Chairman of Marc Jacobs group
Robert Duffy
Together with designer Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs
2009 spring and summer women's wear Conference
Robert Duffy has been a little annoyed lately.
In March 31st, Patrice Lataillade, the former managing director of Marc Jacobs, was admitted to the New York court, accusing Duffy of sex discrimination and embezzlement of public funds.
This incident immediately caused a great stir on the Internet, and all fashion blogs first reproduced the news.
According to the New York post, Lataillade has listed a series of "immoral acts" by Duffy in the indictment, such as displaying pornographic pornography in the office, requiring staff to watch, making and disseminating photographs of staff, and letting a shop assistant perform a pole dance for them.
Lenovo's recent scandal of American Apparel founder's arrest of female shop assistants seems to have made a comeback in the fashion world.
The theme of the production is also brought by Jacobs Louis Vuitton in Paris fashion week.
Fetishism
Theme press conference.
In the show filled with clairvoyant uniforms and uniforms, Jacobs faced all kinds of taboos and allowed models to walk in handcuffs. In a loud voice, supermodel Kate Moss smoked and pressed on the stage, ignoring the French indoor smoking ban.
Having been with Jacobs for over 20 years, has Duffy been tainted with some "bad" tastes of the former? Or is it a good match for many years of cooperation?
In April 8th, 8 days after the outbreak, Duffy appeared in Shanghai to attend the 2011 spring and Summer Exhibition of the Marc Jacobs brand at the Peace Hotel.
In the afternoon, he accepted an exclusive interview with the the Bund pictorial, and for the first time responded positively to the prosecution.
"Such lawsuits often happen in the United States."
He said.
Whether it was being discredited or true, Duffy did not mention it, but he stressed that he was fully supported by the LVMH group of Marc Jacobs.
"They don't worry me."
Earlier, LVMH sent a spokesman to the group's position.
"The accusation in the indictment is not respecting the facts."
The statement said, "Lataillade was dismissed because of serious issues, not related to the content of the complaint."
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Note: Robert Duffy attends the 2011 spring and Summer Exhibition of Marc Jacobs brand at the Peace Hotel, and sits in front row with celebrities like Xiong Dailin and Zhang Jingchu.
Topic maker
This is not the first time Robert Duffy has been harassed by negative news.
In March 25th of this year, an intern who was unable to work under pressure publicly accused Duffy of being a "tyrant" on the official Twitter of Marc Jacobs, and had 110 thousand fans watch a good play.
At that time, micro-blog account "MarcJacobsIntl" was being managed by it.
"You don't know how difficult Robert is.
I'm just an intern. Tomorrow is my last day here, otherwise I wouldn't say that.
The statement was deleted only 4 hours later, the man wrote.
"MJ everything is fine here.
Twitter is a dangerous place. Please protect your password. "
A new micro-blog road.
When asked if he thought he was a good boss, Duffy raised his hand to a few young assistants who were patting him around and said, "you should ask them."
After a pause, he said, "I think I am a good boss."
Now, someone else has posted for Marc Jacobs micro-blog.
At the time of Duffy's interview with the newspaper, the successor was also on the scene, busy taking pictures and uploading for Duffy.
Maybe you do not know, until February this year, "MarcJacobsIntl" on the news is also issued by Duffy himself.
He, who loves interaction, often answers questions not only to the reader but also to some private photos from time to time.
Like Jacobs, Duffy does not seem to be afraid of taboos. His straightforward and daring voice is far from the image of CEO.
There was a micro-blog that made people wonder: "we don't even have a finished garment. All the clothes, bags and shoes to show on the show are not yet finished."
When saying this, it was only 12 days from the date of the new Marc Jacobs release.
In the interview, Duffy also occasionally revealed a careless sense of freedom, as if there was nothing that could not be asked.
Sometimes, you even forget that you are sitting in front of a big company who sells for $350 million a year.
Back to 27 years ago, when Duffy was determined to join hands with Jacobs to create a brand, two people were not optimistic.
"People say that we are young and playful, and a half way out, so this cooperation is doomed to not last long."
Duffy recalls.
However, Jacobs and his achievements shattered the suspicion of the outside world.
The financial crisis and interest distribution, rumors and scandals did not bring this partnership to an end.
In the fashion world, every successful designer has a Duffy like character behind him.
Every Yves Saint Laurent has a partner Pierre Berge to pick up the mess for him after every mental breakdown; Giancarlo Giammetti keeps Valentino away from sales figures, making sure that it always lives in the clouds.
The difference between Duffy is that he is "Crazy" like his partner.
When did you see your boss wearing wings and feathers at the annual meeting of the company? These two people will.
Marc Jacobs's masquerade ball has always been the climax of the New York party season: in 2006, Duffy disguised herself as Michelangelo, and Jacobs turned into a fat pigeon. In the earlier year, Jacobs appeared in the shape of a pig. Beside him, Duffy walked in black silk and satin dress like a cowboy gunner.
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Marc Jacobs and Robert Duffy in 2006 and 2005 at the Marc Jacobs Christmas ball.
Crazy two person group
At first glance, the 56 year old Duffy and Jacobs, 48, are strange combinations. Otherwise, their height is quite different.
Duffy is from a small town in Pennsylvania. His father is a manager of steel casting factory.
After graduating from high school, he went to New York to become the first male salesperson in Bergdorf Goodman department store.
After working on different floors for a while, Duffy found that he could sell anything.
Jacobs grew up in New York, and his parents were the agents of William Morris brokers.
He lost his father at the age of 7, and his mother remarried 3 times.
Precocious Jacobs has been frequented by teenagers since the teenage years. It's common for Parson to go straight to the school of design in after the Studio 54 night revelry.
In 1984, two people met with Jacobs's graduation works.
At that time, Duffy, who was just 30 years old, was a sales manager of a clothing brand named Reuben Thomas on Seventh Avenue.
"Creating a brand is my goal. I have been looking for opportunities."
Duffy said.
As Parson's top graduating class, Jacobs is naturally a better candidate for Duffy. The two people who saw each other at the same time decided to set up their own doors.
After obtaining the investment of Reuben Thomas, they published their works for the first time in the name of Marc Jacobs in the same year.
In 1987, Jacobs was awarded the "Perry Ellis Design Award" by the American Fashion Designers Association (CFDA) and joined the Perry Ellis brand in the pition period with Duffy two years later.
Unfortunately, it didn't last long. After launching the famous "Grunge" garbage series (imagine a $1000 silk dress handled like a flannel shirt), they were both fired.
Jacobs's design has been well received every season, but it's a wild tale to lose profits.
Looking back, Duffy used the word "Romance" to describe those difficult times.
"I remember thinking at that time that I would never have such a degree of freedom in the future."
Freedom is not enough after all.
After 8 months of negotiations, Jacobs and Duffy joined Louis Vuitton in 1997, respectively as art director and studio director.
Before that, Vuitton had never been involved in fashion.
The reason why he actively lobbied Jacobs to take up the job is that Duffy actually beat a businessman's little abacus. He knew clearly that since LVMH agreed to invest in Marc Jacobs (which is the most insisting point of Duffy when revising the contract), the first American brand that they bought would not be defeated easily.
Today, Jacobs's achievements in Vuitton need not be repeated, but in the initial stage of cooperation, the friction between the two sides is quite a lot.
Jacobs is often absent from regular meetings. When contradictions are sharpened, it has complained through the Wall Street journal that "LVMH is not as good for me as Gucci for Tom Ford".
As a kind of armistice agreement, LVMH promised to expand investment in Marc Jacobs and gradually develop from the only store in New York's Suho district to more than 300 global scale.
"Our relationship with LVMH is getting better and better.
Once you start making money for the group, everyone loves you. "
Duffy laughs. "Now, we are the oldest group of employees in this group."
The relationship between Duffy and Jacobs is like an old couple who lived for many years.
"If the company is a big family, then I am an old man. Marc is a strange mother.
Every day before we see him, we think, "how is she today?" "Duffy is in a good mood?"
His words were not all jokes.
Although the history of Jacobs's notorious party is over, he has been cooperating with cocaine for a long time, and has been thrown off the hook for trouble.
At the most serious time, Jacobs did not appear for several days. Until he was late, he had to accompany him to work overtime on weekends. Finally, Duffy had to apologize to the members of the studio himself.
"Marc's personal life is having problems, but I'm not sure that he is addicted to drugs again."
Duffy recalled.
The turnaround took place in February 2007. Duffy and Jacobs have just completed the New York conference. They are preparing for the opening of the new store and the Marc by Marc Jacobs show in London.
After waiting for 3 hours without any fruit in the lobby of Clary's Hotel, Duffy, who was intolerable, rushed into Jacobs's room to showcase him.
"I said to him, Marc, I know what's going on with you.
After the show of Louis Vuitton, you go to rehab.
Jacobs tried to get a little more time, but Duffy refused to give in and even threatened to quit.
Jacobs that's a compromise.
"Without Robert, I think I would have died."
He later said.
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Note: Julie Mannion, one of the heads of Marc Jacobs 2011 Autumn Winter Conference, is reporting progress to Robert Duffy at the scene.
Retail genius
When it comes to how to manage talented and creative people, Duffy is outstanding in this respect.
Many high fashion shop clerks are arrogant, but Marc Jacobs's shop assistants are famous for their friendliness and kindness.
This is largely due to Duffy, who employs his instinct to hire employees and always finds talent or even senior sales in unexpected places.
For example, he has trained a hotel doorman and Adidas shoe salesman as a sales manager for Marc Jacobs Europe.
"Your qualifications do not meet the requirements of this job, but you are the most suitable one," he told Reed Purlitz, a former salesman of sports shoes.
Of course, Duffy has never been an ordinary business manager. This is evident from the location of Marc Jacobs shops.
"The first shop we opened on Mercer street didn't cost much at all, because there was almost nothing on Mercer street.
In addition to a garage, our shop is the only store in two blocks.
People thought I was crazy.
When I opened a shop in Bleecker street in West Village a few years later, their response was like this.
Duffy said.
He said that the original intention of Marc Jacobs to enter the western village was simply because he lived nearby and felt it was more convenient.
Since then, Marc Jacobs has opened 6 shops in the West Village, including a bookstore called Book Marc, which completely pformed the originally quiet residential area into a fashionable kingdom of tourists.
Shops are just as important for Duffy as design is for Jacobs: it is the core of the whole process.
"Retail is always changing. You need to know your customers."
He said, "unless you are willing to stay in the store, you will never understand this."
The information conveyed by these phenomena is much more useful than sales reports when customers observe the fabric of their shirts or ignore the skirt on the hangers.
"Every day I go home, I go through the store of Bleecker Marc by Marc Jacobs."
Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue, said, "I have seen many times through the window that Robert is stacking trousers or putting clothes on shelves."
No matter how much budget you have, you can find your Marc Jacobs: the main line, the secondary line, and the Special Items series, known as the "third lines", which sells a $90 package and a $5 heart-shaped necklace.
"My idea is to create a truly diversified brand.
Maybe I really love the retail business too. I always feel that a shop can't afford expensive products. "
Duffy said.
It is conceivable that LVMH has rejected his proposal, for fear that the $20 T-shirt will destroy the high-end image of the mainline.
But do you think Duffy will be obedient?
"It's the same as when we launched household products: they wouldn't let me do it, but I went to Czech to make a batch of crystal and porcelain, and put them directly in the store."
When LVMH's people had heard enough of Duffy's advice and finally decided to give it a try, Duffy told them that these products were sold in stores.
But this is the last stage.
At the moment, Duffy decided to put energy back to the main line, because "I think we still have a lot of room for improvement".
That's why this Marc Jacobs will spend the main line in Shanghai.
So, in Duffy's view, what kind of brand will Marc Jacobs become in the future? How long will he continue to work near retirement age? Will Jacobs stay in Louis Vuitton? For this, Duffy replied: "I don't have a five year plan. I can have a two week plan.
A few days ago, Robert Duffy, chairman of Marc Jacobs group, was accused of making waves in the office, playing "gay pornography, spreading naked photos of employees, forcing employees to perform pole dance".
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Selma Blair and Robert Duffy at Marc Jacobs 2008 autumn winter women's wear Conference
B= the Bund pictorial RD=Robert Duffy
B: have you worked with Marc Jacobs for many years, and have you ever been tired of each other?
RD: no way.
We are good friends, and we get along well with each other.
We seldom fight, but we will not.
Over the years, we have been sharing an office, whether it is Louis Vuitton or Marc Jacobs.
Now he is in New York, I am in Shanghai, but we have been texting each other.
But after work, we did our job.
You know, after working with a person for a whole day, you don't want to see that person at night.
B: designers are now under tremendous pressure of creation. For a designer like Marc, who has multiple jobs, there are 10 series to be completed every year. How can we cope with it? RD: indeed.
The more the brand develops, the more pressure the designer will have. Besides, there are still many people staring at you outside, waiting to see you embarrassed.
For Marc, his energy is mainly used to design Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton's women's lines and accessories, that is, what you see on the show.
As for men's clothing and sub line, he manages less, and generally needs only the final instruction.
However, just the main line of design has taken up all his time.
Many people do not know that almost every item of clothing in the press conference was painted by Marc himself, from trial dress to styling, all of these things were done by him.
So basically, in the two weeks before the conference, we worked day and night, and we didn't sleep for two consecutive days.
B: not long ago, the encounter of John Galliano sounded the alarm for many people.
Like him, many designers anesthetized themselves with alcohol and drugs in private.
Marc had his problems in the past?
RD: people make mistakes. They should be forgiven.
For me, I just want Marc to be physically and mentally healthy. This is the most important thing.
Although time is never enough, Marc insists on taking a week off every Christmas, so do I.
I often feel tired when I travel a lot. After all, I am more than 50 years old.
B: I wonder if you would like to express your opinion on the recent prosecution?
RD: such lawsuits often happen in the United States.
What I want to say is that our partner LVMH has given me great support since this happened.
They told me not to worry.
B: how do you describe Marc, your partnership with Louis Vuitton?
RD: it is not difficult for us to start signing new contracts, because LVMH and we have the desire to continue to cooperate with each other.
Louis Vuitton is an incredible brand. I know Marc likes to work there. He now regards Paris as her own home.
My title in Louis Vuitton is the studio director, who is responsible for managing and hiring the design team of Marc. Now I only need to go to Paris Vuitton office once a month.
B: Marc Jacobs has been developing rapidly in the past ten years.
At the same time, a series of rich product lines have been developed.
In addition to the main brand Marc Jacobs, the sub brand Marc by Marc Jacobs, you also sell some parity products called "Special Items" in some stores.
Why do you want to launch this series?
RD: my idea is to create a truly diversified brand.
Maybe I really love the retail business too. I always think that a store can't only have expensive products, but also better sell rain shoes, flip flops, these simple things.
I know that Marc by Marc Jacobs customers are very willing to spend money on coats and sweaters, but I hope to attract more customers with more shyness.
B: every time you enter a new field, you seem to be very casual. You don't seem to worry too much.
RD: that's right.
Do you know how we put out our underwear? When someone came to our shop and said they wanted to buy men's underwear, we had no underwear at all.
I think this is a good idea. I have decided to try it. Now our underwear business is very good.
B: have you ever worried that the "third lines" will damage the high-end image of the mainline in people's minds?
RD: this has not happened yet.
I have always said that we are lucky that even the recession has not affected our business. In recent years, we have been expanding.
However, Special Items has become less and less in repositioning the company's position.
At this stage, we decided to focus our efforts on the mainline.
I think we still have a lot of room for improvement.
B: that's why you're making a show for Marc Jacobs today.
RD: Yes.
Next, we will promote the mainline globally, because Marc by Marc Jacobs is everywhere.
At a store in Marc Jacobs, Paris, I met a female customer from China.
I guess she works in the fashion industry because she knows me.
She said, I like your main line, why don't you open shop in China? I said, we have a store.
She did not know.
B: in your opinion, what is the difference between the Chinese market and other markets?
RD: nothing different.
For some reason, people have been asking me this question.
In my view, the Chinese market is no different from other markets.
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