Like Bernard Arnault, the “patriarchs” of fashion are preparing to pass the baton

“Succession: The future of fashion is being decided today,” is the headline this week in Portugal’s weekend supplement of Expresso, the E magazine . “More than any other sector, fashion is run by a small group of powerful families,” the headline reads. “The patriarchs are about to retire – and with their departure comes the time to decide who their successors will be.”

A symbol of the transmission at work in industry, the Frenchman Bernard Arnault, 76 years old, boss of LVMH and incidentally “the richest man in Europe” , occupies the cover of the magazine.

We learn that this father of five children – who has been preparing his succession for a long time after being affected by the failed succession of his friend Jean-Luc Lagardère – is about to bequeath “an empire that owns brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Loewe and Moët” .

Inside, Melissa Twigg's article, first published in the columns of the British daily The Telegraph and translated by Expresso , specifies that Delphine Arnault, 50, is the favorite to succeed her father, after having been "made aware from a young age of the workings of the boutiques of the fashion and luxury empire built by her father."

“But his four brothers (including the eldest, Antoine, 47) received the same education and also have impressive CVs,” explains Expresso .

Beyond the Arnault clan, the future of other flagship brands like Gucci, Prada, Hermès and Chanel “is already being played out” . The magazine asks:

“A new generation of CEOs, trained by their parents, is almost ready to take over the world’s biggest fashion brands. But is this approach wise?”

“The prosperity of the fashion industry depends on what happens now,” he continues. A context that is reminiscent of the knife-edge discussions in the series Succession .

The succession of François-Henri Pinault, 62, head of Kering (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga), is shaping up to be “one of the most unpredictable.” Unlike that of the Prada family (which has just bought Versace), whose heir, Lorenzo Bertelli, seems the obvious choice to take over. This 36-year-old racing driver is the eldest son of the brand's designer Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, the group's chairman and CEO.

Expresso concludes: “With the instincts of Bernard Arnault, the genes of a true fashion legend and the will of a winner, Lorenzo Bertelli is considered the next big fashion star.”