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For family-owned companies like Piazza Sempione eager to maintain some sort of control, private equity is a plus. "Before, the only chance for a family company was to sell themselves to a big conglomerate or luxury group," says Bensoussan. "And then they would lose all their power." And it's good for managers; it gives them something they like. "Freedom!" says Bensoussan, laughing. "If you deliver what you promise, it's a dream world." Working for a conglomerate like Gucci or LVMH has its advantages—access to real estate, saving on advertising. But there are downsides. "Sometimes the smaller companies don't get all the money, all the care, all the love that is needed," he says.
But unlike Gucci Group or any other conglomerate, private-equity firms aren't in the investment for the long haul. Brands bought today will undoubtedly be on the market again in five or so years, sold to another private-equity firm or a luxury conglomerate—or they are taken public. "It's a different approach," says William Cody, a professor in retail and marketing at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "Gucci is looking to build a brand to fold into its business. Private equity is looking to build a brand to sell. They always have an exit strategy." So if things aren't working out, the owners or managers may be moved aside. But, adds Cody, "private equity can give them the capital to move them from the runway to the street." Which is good not only for fashion but also for consumers. "We may get access to designers who may not be able to get into the stores on their own. It all adds up to more choice."
In the end there needs to be a balance between the showroom and the boardroom. Designers may know how to make a gorgeous frock, but "sometimes they do more for the image than the profitability of the company," says Lobmeyr. "If the two parties respect each other—when the financial people do not try to influence the creative process and the creative people understand there are basics that must be followed in order to run a company profitably—it's actually a winning formula."
But will that formula change the face of luxury? "If they change something in fashion, it will be in how they manage companies, but it will never be the product, the style, the design," says Bensoussan. "They don't know anything about it. After all, the next day they are looking into fruit smoothies."