[Leica] BJP article on Hermes-Leica union

["Dave Myers" <myers@bluelake.org>]

I subscribe the an email service from the British Journal of Photography.
In a message received this evening was the following:

"Leica teams up with top fashion house

Leica has revealed plans for a partnership with the world famous French
fashion house Hermès. The luxury goods manufacturer is set to pay more
than 10 million pounds for a 30% stake in the German photographic
company. The move can be seen as a vote of confidence in the Leica brand
from a major company operating outside the photographic industry. Hermès
has 14 manufacturing sectors, from bags and silk scarves to saddlery and
leather goods, and began a partnership programme 20 years ago,
collaborating with specialist companies such as John Lobb bootmaker,
Cristalleries de Saint-Louis, and more recently Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Speaking exclusively to BJP, the company's director of public relations,
Gero Furchheim, said the move would bring stability to Leica and enable
it to form a new basis for restructure. He described Hermès as the ideal
partner, 'because it is a company that knows how to handle premium
brands which are based on values of quality precision and solidity, with
high manufacturing values, aiming at a small market segment which is
looking for the best quality around.'"

I know there has been a good deal of speculation about this partnership, and
I thought many of you would be interested in the above.

Dave