British fashion label Christopher Kane has announced that French luxury conglomerate PPR, which also owns stakes in Stella McCartney ad Alexander McQueen, will become a majority investor. Following on from rumours which surfaced towards the end of last year, PPR has today confirmed that it has acquired a 51 percent stake in the London Fashion Week label, in order to develop a business in partnership with its creator, the Scottish designer, Christopher Kane. The Christopher Kane brand was founded by the designer in 2006 upon his graduation from Central Saint Martin’s College, London, and PPR’s investment is set to enable the label to “accelerate its expansion by providing the support it needs to grow to the next level”. In partnering with Kane, PPR increases its portfolio of luxury brands while fulfilling its mission to empower new creative talent, and the luxury group is expecting to help the Scottish designer open his first stand-alone store in London, as well as help him implement a secondary ready-to-wear line. Commenting on the acquisition, Kane, founder and creative director of the brand, said: “We are very excited and honoured to be partnering with PPR for the next stage of development for our brand. “PPR have an incredible reputation for building some of the very best luxury brands in the world. They respect our creative vision and they have the expertise and experience to help us build the Christopher Kane brand globally.” François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of PPR, added: “Christopher is a truly great talent who has shown a real sense of modernity in the way he mixes elegance and subtle constructions. In just a few years he has built a very distinctive and exciting brand with a unique DNA. “I am delighted that Christopher Kane is joining PPR’s portfolio of luxury brands and working with us to further develop his business as a global luxury brand. Christopher Kane is already established as a luxury label and has a tremendous intrinsic growth potential. “We thus have great ambitions for the brand and will enable it to benefit from our expertise and know-how while providing the space for it to further develop its own creative identity.” As well as joining British labels Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, Kane will also sit alongside fashion houses Balenciaga, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent within the PPR portfolio. Foto: Christopher Kane pre-fall 2013/2014, Source: Fashion United
