عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Fashion

Kering Recruits Estee Lauder Exec for Push into Cosmetics

The logos of French luxury group Kering and fashion house Balenciaga are pictured on Kering headquarters in Paris, France, April 20, 2020. (Reuters)
The logos of French luxury group Kering and fashion house Balenciaga are pictured on Kering headquarters in Paris, France, April 20, 2020. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Kering Recruits Estee Lauder Exec for Push into Cosmetics

The logos of French luxury group Kering and fashion house Balenciaga are pictured on Kering headquarters in Paris, France, April 20, 2020. (Reuters)
The logos of French luxury group Kering and fashion house Balenciaga are pictured on Kering headquarters in Paris, France, April 20, 2020. (Reuters)

French luxury goods group Kering said on Friday it was entering the cosmetics business, with the announcement that it has recruited seasoned Estee Lauder executive Raffaella Cornaggia to head the push into the new segment.

"We are building this new area of expertise within our Group to ensure that our brands can fulfill their potential in this category," group Managing Director Jean-Francois Palus said in a statement.

Cornaggia has been appointed chief executive officer of Kering Beaute, the statement said.

Developing brand presence in cosmetics was "strategically important," Palus said.

The move echoes Kering's development of its eyewear division, an activity it began building in-house in 2014, to make eyewear for its high-end fashion labels.

Luxury groups, which have been riding a strong wave of post-pandemic demand for designer labels, have been tightening their grip on production and expanding the range of products sold by their brands.

Kering said on Friday it would develop beauty products for Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Pomellato and Qeelin.

The decision to move forward with the activity is "positive on a mid-term timeframe," said Piral Dadhania, an analyst with RBC, noting it would allow Kering "sufficient time" to build the business in-house with its smaller labels, opening the way to potentially fold in beauty products from its star label Gucci, when its license deal with Coty expires, likely not before five years.

Kering declined to comment on its agreement with Coty.

The group also has a long-term license for its French fashion label Yves Saint Laurent with L'Oreal.

Dadhania said Cornaggia's experience at Chanel, L'Oreal and Estee Lauder suggests she has "strong relationships" in the sector.

Cornaggia was senior vice president and general manager of the Estee Lauder brand's international business, working also in Asia and expanding travel retail during her 14 years at the group. She previously worked in perfumes and makeup at Chanel, as well as luxury products at L'Oreal.

The fast-growing global beauty market generated $357 billion in revenue in 2021, according to Euromonitor International, and is set to rise in the mid-to-high single digits, percentage-wise through 2026, according to Coresight Research

Most Viewed

 
Fashion

Armani Couture Channels Black as Maestro Misses Paris Bow for 1st Time, Days from 91st Birthday

A model wears a hat during a presentation of creations for Giorgio Armani Privé during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26 collection show at Palazzo Armani in Paris, on July 8, 2025. (AFP)
A model wears a hat during a presentation of creations for Giorgio Armani Privé during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26 collection show at Palazzo Armani in Paris, on July 8, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Armani Couture Channels Black as Maestro Misses Paris Bow for 1st Time, Days from 91st Birthday

A model wears a hat during a presentation of creations for Giorgio Armani Privé during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26 collection show at Palazzo Armani in Paris, on July 8, 2025. (AFP)
A model wears a hat during a presentation of creations for Giorgio Armani Privé during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2025-26 collection show at Palazzo Armani in Paris, on July 8, 2025. (AFP)

Armani Privé opened Tuesday under an unmistakable shadow. For the first time in the 20-year history of his couture house, Giorgio Armani was not present in Paris to take his bow.

Days from his 91st birthday and following doctors’ advice after a recent hospital stay, Armani reportedly oversaw the Paris couture week show remotely from home, a moment of absence that lands heavily for a designer who has shaped every one of his brand’s collections since its founding.

The show’s theme, “Seductive Black,” played out with literal and symbolic force on the runway: black in myriad forms, from liquid velvet and lacquered silk to pavé crystals and flashes of gold. Even the models’ makeup followed suit, rendered in shades of gray.

For some in the front row, the relentless palette felt pointed. Guests quietly wondered if the choice of black was a coded message from the maestro himself.

This is not the first major show Armani has missed this season. Just weeks ago, he was forced to sit out Milan Fashion Week for the first time in the label’s history, following a brief hospitalization.

According to the brand, the absence was a precaution to save energy for his Paris couture appearance.

For decades, Armani — often referred to as “Re Giorgio,” or King George, in Italy — has been both the creative and business force behind one of fashion’s last great independent empires.

The Tuesday collection balanced tension and control. After an uncertain start, including velvet jodhpurs and stark crystalline seams, Armani’s familiar codes quickly emerged: tuxedo jackets transformed into evening gowns with plunging lapels and floating bow ties, tailored blazers worn on bare skin and military-inspired equestrian jackets paired with slim velvet pants.

Bursts of embroidery and colored feathers provided a balance from the monochrome.

Armani’s recent absences have sent ripples through the industry. In a landscape dominated by conglomerates like LVMH and Kering, Armani remains the sole shareholder of his company, personally overseeing every collection for nearly 50 years. In 2024, Armani Group reported revenues of $2.5 billion, while Giorgio Armani’s personal fortune is estimated at $11–13 billion — even as the global luxury market faces headwinds.

Armani is widely credited with redefining men’s and women’s tailoring, pioneering gender-fluidity in fashion, and inventing celebrity red-carpet dressing, from Julia Roberts to Cate Blanchett. Yet the designer himself has acknowledged that age is now a reality to deal with and that pulling back could be a necessity.

Whether the monochrome collection was a deliberate metaphor or simply a showcase of discipline, “Seductive Black” felt personal — both a mood and a message, perhaps an understated nod to a master whose presence, even in absence, remains absolute.

As the show closed, the final bow belonged to the models alone. But Armani’s vision — uncompromising and unmistakably his — filled the room.