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Christian Lacroix to design jets

Under new ownership, Christian Lacroix will expand its portfolio in a surprising direction: skywards.

Just a few weeks ago, Christian Lacroix was on the verge of extinction. Now, with a $70m deal with Hassan bin Ali al-Nuaimi, nephew of the ruler of Ajman, in the pipeline, it seems that his empire has not only been saved - but it that it will come back bigger and better than ever before.

When the news about the Nuaimi deal initially broke, it was confirmed that the sheik intended to safeguard the house's couture operations. But apparently, he's thinking of extending Lacroix's reputation for high-end opulence into new territory, too.

"The idea is not to focus on fashion by itself," Nuaimi has revealed in an interview with Reuters. "We are discussing different activities in leisure... private jets, hotels, high quality yachts, palaces and interior decoration. We will focus on very exclusive areas and don't want to sell his name cheap in the market."

With said market saturated with luxury brands struggling under the pressures of a volatile economy, Nuaimi is keen that Lacroix should rise above it all in style.

"It's a little strange for Arab people to get into the fashion business," he added. "I want to focus on something different that no one is competing with in this region."

Picture: Christian Lacroix, autumn/winter 2009.

christian-lacroix.fr

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