Kingdom Of Dreams S1

The world of high fashion is in peril. Once-treasured Houses have fallen into disarray. Christian Dior is nearly bankrupt. Givenchy is dusty and staid. Family conflicts threaten to tear apart the House of Gucci. The decline appears irreversible. But that is all about to change...When the opportunity to acquire Christian Dior presents itself, young French tycoon Bernard Arnault doesn’t hesitate to pounce. His ruthless tactics earn him the title ‘The Wolf in Cashmere’. His ambition is for Dior to become the foundation on which he will build a luxury empire - but he needs new creative blood to rejuvenate Dior and his other brands…Meanwhile, John Galliano is making a name for himself as an original and daring designer. However, he struggles with finance and can barely keep afloat his small London-based company. Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue, helps him find the backing to showcase his brilliance in Paris. Following Galliano’s rapturous reception, Wintour encourages Arnault to take a gamble on Galliano and hire him to be the in-house designer at Givenchy. But Galliano has his heart set on an even bigger prize: Arnault’s most cherished possession, the mythical House of Dior…

Bernard Arnault is on the prowl to expand his LVMH empire, but he passed up the opportunity to acquire the mythical House of Gucci. Riddled by internecine family rivalries and disfunction, the Italian leather goods brand is truly a poisoned chalice. But unbeknown to Arnault, a remarkable double act is about to turn Gucci around. CEO Domenico De Sole gambles on a talented junior designer Tom Ford - a young unknown Texan who has come to Milan to make his name - and makes him Gucci’s creative director. Together, Tom and Dom transform Gucci into the hottest name in fashion, and the first luxury brand to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. Arnault decides to copy the Gucci formula at Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s staid leather goods brand. He hires another American, Marc Jacobs, to give the House a Gucci-style makeover. But after Jacobs’ first collection flops, Arnault secretly begins to purchase shares in Gucci, and launches a hostile takeover. But Tom and Dom are determined to protect their independence and fiercely resist Arnault. Eventually they find a White Knight to rescue them: Francois Pinault, another French tycoon who now becomes Arnault’s bitter rival in the Kingdom of Dreams.

Bernard Arnault dukes it out with rival tycoon Francois Pinault to reign supreme over the Kingdom of Dreams. The spoils of war are the brands they acquire and the designers they hire. Arnault has already built a formidable empire, but with the help of Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole, Pinault rapidly becomes a significant threat to Arnault’s dominance. Tom and Dom soon replicate the success they achieved at Gucci with Pinault’s latest acquisition Yves Saint Laurent, the famed Parisian House Pinault now owns. And they begin seeking new names to add to the Gucci Group’s roster…Meanwhile, Arnault’s stars conquer all before them. Marc Jacobs finally vindicates the tycoon’s faith in him, transforming Louis Vuitton into a global brand. John Galliano triumphs with each spectacular show he produces for Christian Dior. However, Tom and Dom are aware that another of Arnault’s wizards is unsettled… In spite of the acclaim he receives for his shows at Givenchy, Alexander McQueen grows frustrated that neither he nor the House rank high in Arnault’s affections. He plots his escape, and Tom and Dom step up to begin clandestine negotiations to acquire McQueen’s own London-based brand and steal the designer away from Arnault…

Not even the global crisis precipitated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks can impede the Kingdom of Dreams’ phenomenal growth… Arnault, Pinault and Anna Wintour have transformed the once exclusive world of high fashion into a global industry. But with success comes collateral damage: to the environment - fashion is now among the world’s worst polluters; to the garment workers who suffer appalling labour conditions; and finally to the quartet of designers whose wizardry has defined this era.While they have won fame and fortune, in reality the designers wield little power. They have each sold their names, and bound their fates, to the tycoons. They have done their jobs almost too well, restoring the magic and lustre to iconic brand names. No longer indispensable, they each suffer a dramatic fall. Tom Ford is deposed, exiled from the Kingdom. McQueen and Galliano are broken on the wheel of the industry’s relentless pressure. And finally, Marc Jacobs retreats with a farewell show wreathed in funereal black that draws the curtain on this golden age. But the tycoons continue unscathed; Pinault’s empire expands, while Arnault becomes the wealthiest man in the world. The Kingdom of Dreams is now worth $3 trillion.