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In the age of the high/low collaboration (H&M for Versace, Missoni for Target - shall we go on?), is refusing to do a collaboration the next trend? Luxe jewelry megabrand Cartier told Fashionista that partnering up with a name designer for a collaboration isn't in their plan.
Pierre Rainero, Cartier's director of image, style, and heritage, said, "We always work with our own designers. And for us, design is really our statement, so we see no point in working with external designers. And also what we believe in is the idea of a ‘maison’ — maison meaning house in English, of course — because it’s very symbolic and it means that under the same roof, we combine all the necessary skills to produce jewelry. Meaning not only the designers, but also the atelier — you know the place where we have the workers, the craftsmanship.
Do you think that the backlash to an onslaught of designer collaborations will be a trend of everyone staying in their own maison? If anyone can afford not to do a lower-priced collection, it's probably Cartier.
· [Fashionista]
· Cartier Goes Online [Racked]