Chapter 703: Versace

After being acquired by Melisandre Company, CK rapidly became the hottest brand at New York Fashion Week over the past two years. This year's CK fashion show is scheduled for September 28th, Wednesday at 7 PM.

At the start of the week, the women and children returned to Los Angeles, while Simon stayed in New York. He had pre-arranged with Sophia to attend the Wednesday night show—not to boost CK's popularity, as his presence would not be mentioned in any press releases—but simply to observe the brand's development over the past two years.

When Simon initially acquired CK, he had deliberately sought out recordings of the brand's fashion shows from previous years, only to be appalled by what he saw. The crude and simple runway, unattractive models, and the uninspiring atmosphere of the show, topped by fashion designs devoid of any distinctive features, made it difficult to muster any interest.

Of course, this could be attributed to the fact that 'poverty stifles ambition,' as well as Simon's elevated standards after experiencing the pinnacle of fashion.

However, Simon still told Sophia at the time that if CK remained as it was in those tapes after two or three years, the brand would no longer be worth continuing.

It's now been more than two years since CK was acquired in early 1992. 

Due to his focus on brand management in previous years, CK's founder, Calvin Klein, was no longer able to concentrate on design. After Melisandre acquired CK, they quickly hired a new, up-and-coming designer who had been gaining attention in the industry: Marc Jacobs. He had been one of the candidates for the Gucci brand's designer, but Simon had chosen Tom Ford based on his recollection.

With the change in designers, Calvin Klein relinquished control of the brand's design work to focus entirely on corporate operations. In 1993, under the smooth collaboration of Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs, and with the full backing of the parent company's resources, CK became the only brand under Melisandre to incur losses. However, the company's annual revenue still grew by 73%, increasing from just over $100 million in 1992 to $170 million in 1993.

In the first half of 1994, CK's revenue continued to grow by 67% compared to the same period last year, reaching $130 million in the first six months. The full-year revenue is expected to reach $280 million, with an annual growth of about 65%. Although this year's loss is still expected to be around $20 million, exceeding last year's $13 million loss, Simon was no longer dissatisfied given the brand's rapid growth.

As usual, Simon worked until after six o'clock before leaving the office. He headed straight from Westeros Company headquarters to the CK show venue.

The show was not held in the tents of Bryant Park where most brands gather but was instead hosted at the nearby Morgan Library. Renting this venue alone was a costly affair, and even if other brands were willing to spend the money, they might not be able to secure such a location, given that it's the 'Morgan' Library. CK managed to rent part of the space only after signing numerous restrictive clauses and paying a substantial fee. After the show, they would also be responsible for clearing all traces of the event before the next morning.

This, of course, is part of the brand's marketing strategy.

Although New York Fashion Week doesn't attract as many top brands as Paris and Milan, securing higher media attention among dozens of brands during the event requires pulling out all the stops—lavish venues, top models, star-studded guests—all these elements are indispensable. 

But ultimately, it's the design that matters most.

If the clothing fails to attract consumers, everything else is in vain.

When Simon arrived, there were less than ten minutes left before the show started, yet the entrance of the Morgan Library was still crowded with people. Media and onlookers without invitations mingled, creating a chaotic scene that caused traffic congestion on the street.

The Morgan Library occupies most of a city block. Simon's car made its way through the throngs of people to a side entrance where he could enter.

Sophia greeted him with a hug and, linking her arm with his, led him inside. "Would you like to check out the backstage? The girls are changing."

Knowing full well what the scene in the backstage dressing area would be like, Simon nodded with a mischievous grin. "Sure."

Sophia gave him a knowing look but still led the way to the backstage area, which was actually a hall temporarily sectioned off. One side of the hall was a wide corridor where the runway had been set up.

Standing at the entrance to the corridor leading to the runway, Simon observed the busy and somewhat chaotic scene around him.

Under Sophia's guidance, Simon spotted Marc Jacobs not far away, half-squatting on the ground. He appeared agitated as he made rough adjustments to a model's outfit with pins, shouting instructions to an assistant.

Simon wasn't surprised.

Just like a director on a film set, the designer's showcase at a fashion show is their major exam, and no one takes it lightly.

Even in the chaos, Simon's arrival was quickly noticed. Several models glanced his way, their eyes lighting up, and those who knew him well greeted him. However, since they were about to go on stage and a certain 'queen' was keeping a close watch, even the most familiar ones didn't approach him, obediently letting the makeup artists check their looks.

However, not everyone held back.

Soon, Simon noticed Grace Spooler emerging from the makeup area, a bag slung over her shoulder and two Motorola Micro-TAC phones in one hand. This small detail alone showed how busy the woman had been lately.

Grace had thought that after some time apart, her feelings would gradually fade. But surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the show, she realized otherwise. Looking at the man's smile, Grace took a deep breath and then gave up resisting.

Forget it. I'm completely lost.

Ignoring the slightly teasing look on Sophia's face, Grace approached Simon with open arms, trying to be as natural as possible. "Good evening, Simon. I didn't expect you to come."

Simon hugged her briefly and said, "I had some free time tonight. Why are you here?"

Grace reluctantly let go of him and replied, "It's the most important show of New York Fashion Week; I had to be here to oversee it personally." She explained, then remembered Sophia was still nearby and quickly nodded to her.

Sophia simply smiled.

There was a bit of jealousy, but mostly curiosity.

After some interaction, Sophia knew Simon had provided a lot of resources to the woman in front of her, and she had cooperated as much as possible. However, she hadn't expected their relationship to be so close.

When had her little man charmed another woman so deeply? And to the point of obsession, too.

When Sophia first got involved with Simon, it was purely with the intent of advancing her career. Over the years, she had gradually developed genuine feelings. Among the women around Simon who were of similar age, there was another, Celia Miller, who was even more calculating than she was. But neither of them had the same pure-hearted infatuation as the woman in front of her.

This woman must have children around the same age as my two, right? 

How odd.

With these thoughts, Sophia couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

As the three continued chatting, a nearby staff member loudly announced that there was one minute left until the show started. The models began gathering at the entrance to the runway.

Sophia instinctively didn't want Simon to talk too much with Grace. Originally planning to watch the show from backstage, she now suggested, "Simon, why don't we go to the front?"

Simon didn't think much of it and nodded. "Sure."

Grace, needing to stay backstage to oversee her girls, couldn't follow them to the front. But as she watched Sophia take Simon's arm and leave, a small smile of satisfaction appeared on her lips.

She had no intention of competing with Sophia, but it was still gratifying to see Sophia Feisty showing signs of hostility toward her.

In the front area of the show, the lights had already dimmed. Unable to find seats at the last minute, Simon and Sophia moved to the other end of the corridor, standing behind the media section at the end of the runway.

In the flickering lights, the big names seated in the front row on either side of the runway were still clearly visible. 

This has become a hallmark of Melisandre's fashion shows in recent years—not cramming photographers from various media outlets at the sides of the runway but placing them at the back or at the end of the runway. The front row is reserved for celebrities, VIPs, and media moguls who can boost the show's popularity.

The light music began, and the models soon made their entrance.

Opening the show was Nadja Auermann.

Simon made no secret of the fact that she was his 'leg girl.' Nadja's style perfectly matched CK's sexy and rebellious brand image, making her the face of CK's fragrance.

Simon had assessed the impact of the scandal earlier this year on Nadja's career. Due to careful media control, there had been virtually no negative impact.

Ordinary people naturally accept the idea of powerful men having affairs, especially when the man in question is Simon Westeros.

Standing beside Simon, Sophia took the initiative to explain, "Marc's inspiration for this season's women's wear comes from vampire and witch legends, with a focus on a mysterious and glamorous style, along with a touch of intellectual elements. That's why he chose the Morgan Library as the venue."

Simon nodded slightly.

While not an expert in fashion design, he didn't plan to spend too much time learning. But the clothing on display, which was pleasing to the

 eye, was a sign of success.

Over the years, Simon had attended numerous fashion shows and could easily distinguish the good from the bad at a glance.

Many things are actually that simple.

Like movies.

Simon's standard for judging a commercial film is whether it can keep the audience engaged from start to finish.

For many of the commercial films he directed, Simon had this same requirement.

However, despite the seemingly simple criteria, achieving this is not easy.

The film Simon remembers being the most seamless was James Cameron's first *Terminator*. It was genuinely seamless—once you're engrossed in the big screen, you'll find yourself at the end of an exhilarating story in no time. There are no random subplots, unnecessary drama, extraneous narration, or ill-timed slow-motion shots—just pure storytelling.

Mastery is evident in the details. James Cameron's success as one of Hollywood's top commercial directors is certainly well-earned.

Inside the venue, this year's CK show featured a total of five collections, lasting twenty minutes.

It focused primarily on women's fashion.

The men's collection will be presented separately.

Although the show was slightly longer than usual, no one felt bored. Whether it was the fashion itself, the models on the runway, or the venue setup and musical atmosphere, CK had achieved excellence.

Many of the models participating in Fashion Week have to rush between multiple shows daily.

However, most of the models for this CK show had cleared their schedules from this morning onwards, arriving early to rehearse and prepare their looks for the show. As a result, unlike other brands where models appear with hastily done makeup due to their hectic schedules, CK's models had a uniform style, with some even cutting their hair specifically for the show.

It wasn't just the models—the runway lighting and music were all custom-designed for this show, handled by professional Hollywood lighting and music masters.

Additionally, Van Cleef & Arpels provided a collection of high-end jewelry as accessories for this show, with a total value exceeding $20 million, escorted by a 12-member security team backstage.

All of this, of course, required a very expensive budget.

But it was well worth it.

CK's rapid growth in the past two years has been greatly aided by relentless brand marketing.

Months of preparation culminated in a flawless twenty-minute show.

After the show, most people didn't leave. CK had also prepared a grand after-party at the Gramercy Hotel.

Simon followed the crowd to the next venue.

After the show, Nadja and the other models were less restrained. Upon arriving at the Gramercy Hotel's party hall, they quickly pulled Simon away from Sophia. The other models who participated in the show also gathered around him.

He knew most of them.

In addition to Nadja Auermann and Yasmeen Ghauri, veteran supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, as well as rising stars like Christy Turlington, Eva Herzigová, and Daniela Peštová—whom Grace had recently promoted—were all part of this show. Some had even lowered their rates just to be part of this event, with a few participating for free.

Everyone understood that with the exposure from the CK show, getting their face seen in a show that would be featured frequently across various media platforms in the coming months was as good as landing a magazine cover.

And it was true.

The meticulous creation of this show, and all of Melisandre's shows, aimed to become timeless classics.

In addition to the increasingly important TV channels, the past few years of Melisandre's shows have been carefully edited into high-definition videos available for download online, becoming cherished classics for many internet users.

The party continued until around 9 PM when Sophia pulled Simon away from the group of models and led him to a booth in a corner of the hall.

Waiting there was a man in a light gray plaid suit with a full beard.

The man's name was Gianni Versace.

The founder of Versace.

When he saw Simon approaching, Gianni Versace quickly stood up to greet him, showing no sign of disrespect despite the lipstick stains still on the young man's face.

No one understood better than him what had been happening recently.

Gianni Versace had even been contemplating whether his company should return to Milan Fashion Week this year.

No amount of money was worth risking his life.

When the Feisty family received a bullet from the Mafia as a warning, the Versace family, living in Miami, received their own 'gift.' The subsequent disappearance of the Stefano family did not bring Gianni any relief; he lived in constant fear that his family might be the next to disappear.

This constant anxiety lasted until Sophia Feisty from Melisandre Company proactively reached out to him, marking a turning point in his fortunes.

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