THE FASHION LEGACY
—A fashion house’s heritage is both symbolic yet literal, immaterial yet tangible. It is not merely the capital that guarantees its continuity and often its prosperity: it is also the genetic and perhaps even moral code that forms an integral part of its identity. While a heritage can be a trump card that is a boundless source of inspiration during times of uncertainty, it can also be a roadblock in the face of change and the evolution of a brand.
The concept of heritage plays an essential role in contemporary fashion, both because it is reassuring and because, while the fashion houses that dominate the industry are run to ensure that they make a profit and are therefore open to new ideas, they have often been going for decades, if not centuries. Longevity of this nature — lovingly catalogued in their precious archives — is part of the fascination that they generate among admirers around the world. Having a history of this kind is the equivalent of being a member of the nobility — the older a fashion house is,
