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UPDATE 2-Hermes leads luxury pack with strong Christmas sales

<p> * Hermes 2009 sales up 4.1 pct at constant currencies </p><p> * Q4 sales up 11 pct, constant currencies; 8.5 pct reported</p><p> * LVMH Q4 sales up 1 pct like-for-like</p><p>  (Adds comments by finance director, analyst; share prices)</p><p> By Astrid Wendlandt     </p><p> PARIS, Feb 5  - Hermes (HRMS.PA) on Friday joinedthe ranks of rival luxury groups including LVMH (LVMH,[http://forum.hbzaojiao.org/showtopic-14935.aspx Brands with stores may fare better- Bain_76].PA) andRichemont (CFR.VX) to report surprisingly strong Christmassales, after suffering the worst industry slump in two decades.</p><p> Hermes,[http://ltoo.net/viewthread.php?tid=771046&extra= LVMH set to dazzle with first-half figures_47], with a product range spanning silk scarfs and20,000-euro crocodile handbags, reported the strongestfourth-quarter sales growth of all, comfortably beatingforecasts, and lifted its own profit expectations for the year.</p><p> "Christmas was better than expected, we had not foreseensuch growth," Finance Director Mireille Maury told . "Weare optimisitc (about 2010)," she added.</p><p> In the fourth quarter Hermes's leather goods sales rose 16.8percent at constant currencies to 278.7 million euros, silk andtextiles were up 17.7 percent and ready-to-wear and fashionaccessories were up 12.2 percent.</p><p> LVMH late on Thursday posted a 1 percent rise in itslike-for-like fourth-quarter sales and a smaller than expecteddrop in 2009 operating profit, citing signs of improvement inwatches, spirits and champagne. [ID:nLDE61112S]</p><p> The firm said it produced record sales in December andseveral divisional heads gave relatively upbeat trading updates,while Chief Executive Bernard Arnault said the crisis meant"bling bling" was out and authentic and genuine luxury was in, atrend which analysts say tends to benefit strong and wellestablished brands.</p><p> Hermes, the world's third biggest luxury goods maker afterLVMH and Richemont in terms of market value, said it nowexpected a slight rise in its current operating profit for lastyear, having previously expected a small drop.</p><p> Net profit should be about the same as it was in 2008, itadded.</p><p> "With that, Hermes is the only one in our luxury goodsuniverse achieving positive organic growth for 2009," analystsat Vontobel said in a note.</p><p> Looking at 2010, Hermes said it expects sales to rise 5percent at constant currencies after climbing 4,[http://www.officialceline.com/celine-doctor-bags/celine-doctor-leather-bag-beige-brown Celine Doctor Leather Bag Beige Brown].1 percent in2009 and aims to maintain its operating margin.</p><p> OUTPERFORMING PEERS</p><p> U.S. consultancy Bain & Co expects global luxury sales torise 1 percent this year after falling 8 percent last year.</p><p> Earlier this month, several luxury groups including Burberry(BRBY.L), Richemont and Swatch (UHR.VX) publishedforecast-beating 2009 sales on the back of a strong Christmasand gave relatively upbeat trading updates.</p><p> The positive news flow had already boosted share pricesafter several analysts upgraded their 2009 and 2010 forecastsfor companies in the sector including Hermes and Gucci Group,owned by PPR (PRTP.PA), whose numbers are due on Feb. 18.</p><p> Shares in Hermes were down 2,[http://www.bxego.com/home/space.php?uid=816&do=blog&id=6188 Interview- China must boost imports to avert trade].4 percent at 94.8 euros by 1130GMT on Friday, while LVMH was down 4 percent at 74.80 euros.</p><p>    </p><p> LVMH IMPROVEMENT</p><p> Echoing Hermes, LVMH said all of its businesses had improvedin the fourth quarter. On a like-for-like basis, LVMH's winesand spirits sales fell 6 percent, perfume and cosmetics rose 2percent and watches and jewellery were up 5 percent.</p><p> Like-for-like turnover from LVMH's fashion and leatherbrands which include Louis Vuitton and Celine, rose 3 percent inthe quarter while selective retailing, which includes the beautyproducts retailer Sephora, was up 4 percent. For related SephoraCEO interview see [ID:nLDE6132KH].</p><p>  Hermes's retail network helped shield the Paris-basedcompany from the crisis, with Hermes shops generating about 80percent of total sales and wholesale 20 percent.</p><p> In the fourth quarter its boutiques enjoyed an 18 percentsurge in sales, a performance Maury described as "exceptional."</p><p> Full-year sales by the boutiques were up 17 percent atcurrent exchange rates and 12 percent at constant currencies,while wholesale turnover was down 17 percent at constantcurrencies.</p><p> In comparison German fashion house Hugo Boss BOSG_p.DE,which depends on wholesale for two thirds of its turnover,reported a 7 percent drop in 2009 sales earlier this week.However, like others it benefited from improved trading in thefourth quarter. [nLDE612225] ($1=.7207 euros) (Editing by Hans Peters, Greg Mahlich)</p>Earnings

Celebrities? So last season, say Paris fashionistas

<p>PARIS  - Maybe it's the effect of recession, maybe it's simply a case of Hollywood fatigue -- whatever the reason, buyers and designers at Paris fashion week are declaring the end of the celebrity cult.</p><p>Backstage at the shows, the talk was not of glitzy muses such as actress Lindsay Lohan, but of classic accessories, inspiration from the archives and long-lasting pieces to tempt choosy shoppers amid a slight recovery in spending.</p><p>"I think we're moving away from (the star factor),[http://mixer.abk-soft.com/events_view.php?eid=3337192 Fake jewellery trader at Ingliston fined], it's more about the product rather than celebrity endorsement," said Sebastian Manes, director of accessories at Selfridges & Co. "I think it was very true for beginning of the century, but now we're going for values."</p><p>Pop stars and actors still filled the front rows at Stella McCartney Monday, but the spotlight was on mannish blazers and soft knits that normal women might actually like to wear.</p><p>"McCartney was the 'wow' of Paris for me," Stephanie Solomon, fashion director at Bloomingdale's, told . "She pared it down to what she does best."</p><p>Quilted jackets and waistcoats, striped bumble bee A-line dresses and open-backed orange or fuchsia evening dresses with henna-tattoo lace detail played to McCartney's strengths.</p><p>"This collection is a response to moving on, moving upwards, and, you know, really addressing what women are going to need in the future to make them feel better about themselves,[http://www.gzmbedu.com/Review.asp?NewsID=84 Armani gains direct control of UK sales business_14]," McCartney said after the show.</p><p>LIFE AFTER LINDSAY</p><p>Fashion house Emanuel Ungaro bet heavily on the star factor when it hired actress Lindsay Lohan as adviser last year, but the resulting collection was panned and sold less than expected.</p><p>At the autumn/winter show Monday, designer Estrella Archs tried to talk as much as possible about the Ungaro archives, and as little as possible about her short-lived collaboration with Lohan.</p><p>Polka dot dresses were paired with grass green or pink shoes and accessories; skimpy bustiers with snow leopard print trousers -- not very autumnal in theme, but more wearable than Lohan's buttocks-exposing mini-dresses.</p><p>At Loewe, British designer Stuart Vevers mixed the retro glamour of long leather gloves, fox fur and flecked veils with the industrial chic of chains and jagged cuts.</p><p>Celine designer Phoebe Philo and Cacharel's Cedric Charlier also avoided risks. Philo stuck to Celine's traditional minimalist style, while Charlier revived Cacharel's romantic origins with pleated skirts and flower-patterned dresses.</p><p>"I think designers have taken note that people want longevity in their wardrobe. The brand is not enough," said Danielle Merollo, director of personal shopping at Americana Manhasset, a luxury shopping center in Long Island, near New York city.</p><p>She expected autumn/winter sales to be stronger than last year, having already seen first signs of a improvement. In February, U.S. retailers saw their best monthly sales since the recession started to bite.</p><p>And just like last year,[http://jg1.baiyun.edu.cn/plus/view.php?aid=45310 Luxury Delhi conference put off over Mumbai attack], accessories were named as the top selling item by buyers in Paris, as shoppers look for ways to update their wardrobe on a budget.</p><p>"2009 was an amazing year, and the beginning of 2010 is starting very, very well," Manes, the accessories buyer,[http://www.officialceline.com/celine-boston-bags/celine-phantom-luggage-tote-leather-blue Celine Phantom Luggage Tote Leather Blue], said.</p><p>(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)</p>EntertainmentFashionLifestyle