One of the more astonishing success stories of the past century has been the evolution of luxury retailing, from small-scale family firms to an international, multi-billion dollar industry. In the process, the family names of the men and women responsible for this transformation – among them Armani, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Lauren and Missoni – have become more familiar as brands than as individuals. Yet, as the modern industry struggles to reconcile its artisanal heritage with today’s public offerings and quarterly reports, it is the personal, family connection that bridges the gap.
上一世纪令人惊讶的成功故事之一，就是奢侈品零售业的蜕变：从各个小型家族企业演变为一个规模达数十亿美元的国际化行业。在此进程中，一些家族的姓氏，例如阿玛尼(Armani)、夏奈尔(Chanel)、迪奥(Dior)、纪梵希(Givenchy)、劳伦(Lauren)和米索尼(Missoni)等，已不再仅仅代表个人，而是成为了众所共知的品牌标识。然而，随着现代产业竭力将其手工传统与当今的上市融资和季度报告协调起来，拉近二者距离的正是那种个人化的家庭纽带。