Management Mode and Monarchs

The biggest moment was after the models had exited the catwalk at Gucci’s Piazza Oberdan theater and designer Frida Giannini held Lee in a long embrace, before sliding off, thumbs up, backstage.

The fashion capitals have been obsessed with Gucci’s sudden and unexpected announcement that Lee will quit the house at the end of this year, after driving Gucci’s bottom line to be the heftiest - with nearly $1 billion net profits in 2007 - in Italian luxury.

“This is the reason,” responded Lee with a smile to FWD, pulling two color photocopies of his pet beagles, Sam and Dudley, out of his inside pocket. “I want some time in New York, to enjoy our house in Bedford. I need a break. And isn’t it hard to think of a better time to leave?”

the thin American insisted, as Gucci Group President Robert Polet hovered nearby. Asked about financial reports that Lee had been shunted out after a badly flat first quarter for Gucci, Francois Henri Pinault, the scion of the French family that controls Gucci Group, brushed aside any such suggestion. “Oh, come on. We had over 600 million euros in profits last year at Gucci.

Okay, we had a bad first quarter but a strong second one. We are rational business people, you don’t get rid of an executive because of a bad quarter after such a great performance for so many years,” Pinault insisted. Giannini, who invariably takes her bows wearing pants, and did so again with a cool set of fatigue trous, crammed her runway with pants.

This is one designer not afraid to make a brand in her own image. From a natty and charming striped pants suit worn with white trilby by model Natasha Poly, who opened the show, and cut off at the ankle Christmas cracker print jeans, to jodhpur-fatigues and a great selection of camouflage battle pants ideal for clubbing, the legs were the heart of the matter.

Though, admittedly, this was camouflage that would never see jungle action, combat pants that strayed no further than a cocktail party. “It is a collection for explorers,” explained Frida backstage.

Giannini is occasionally characterized as an accessories designer as if this were somehow a bad thing. But her selection of hardware and footwear this season, especially, her spike heeled platforms, and a great series of tasseled Gucci print shopping sacks, should keep the tills busy at the chain’s boutiques. crazy college girls, Girls in gym showers, Spring break girls, Indian Pakistani girls, Spring break girls flashing