Chanel's Manchester Fashion Show Draws Celebrities and Protesters

Models present creations at the Chanel Metiers d'Art runway show, in Manchester, Britain December 7, 2023. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
Models present creations at the Chanel Metiers d'Art runway show, in Manchester, Britain December 7, 2023. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
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Chanel's Manchester Fashion Show Draws Celebrities and Protesters

Models present creations at the Chanel Metiers d'Art runway show, in Manchester, Britain December 7, 2023. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
Models present creations at the Chanel Metiers d'Art runway show, in Manchester, Britain December 7, 2023. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

French luxury label Chanel took its annual Metiers d'Art runway show to a rainy northern England street late Thursday where an international fashion crowd viewed a special collection highlighting the brand's craftwork, Reuters reported.
Guests including actors Tilda Swinton, Hugh Grant and Kristen Stewart, model Alexa Chung and British rapper Aitch gathered on a stretch of Manchester's Thomas Street under a transparent canopy, where they snacked on mulled cider and mini cheese toasties as pro-Palestinian protesters chanted.
Music soon drowned out the protest chants and models with 1960s inspired hairdos marched down the pavement in girly renditions of the label's signature tweed ensembles in bright pink, orange and green, with low-heeled Mary Jane shoes.
The annual event showcases lace, embroidery and other crafts produced at Chanel's complex of specialty workshops on the northern outskirts of Paris.
Manchester's link to fashion dates to the 18th century when it was the center of Britain's textiles industry. The city is known for its contributions to British pop culture, sports and fashion.



Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Birkin-bag maker Hermes reported a 13% rise in second-quarter sales on Thursday, demonstrating the continued appetite from wealthy shoppers for its luxury handbags, even as less affluent consumers pull back.

Sales at the French luxury group grew to 3.7 billion euros ($4.02 billion), a 13% organic sales rise that strips out currency fluctuations. The figure was in line with analyst expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Operating profit for the first half was 3.1 billion euros, compared to a forecast from consensus provider Visible Alpha for 3.2 billion.

One of the most steady performers in the luxury goods sector -- even as economic conditions worsen -- the French group's results stand out after a string of disappointing earnings updates from peers which have raised investor concern about uncertain prospects for the sector in the coming months.

Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity, and CEO Axel Dumas told reporters the company had seen "no big interruption in trends".

However, he said Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic with aspirational clients, which was impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories.