The car was parked in front of a villa in the eastern part of Long Island, surrounded by greenery, and the whole villa was hidden in the greenery, which looked quiet and elegant.

Zhang Ran got out of the car with a bottle of Lafite in his hand, walked to the door and rang the doorbell. The United States, like China, goes to other people's homes and brings a little gift, usually flowers or red wine.

After concluding negotiations with Miuccia Prada, Zhang Ran had planned to go to Los Angeles, but this time he came to the United States to have other things to do besides negotiating with Prada. However, just as he was about to leave New York, he received an invitation from Wintour to her house for a banquet.

Unlike ordinary corporate M&A, luxury families tend to be arrogant, don't like auctions, and sell shares usually only on a one-to-one basis with carefully selected buyers, and if you're not in this circle, you won't have the opportunity to talk to them at all.

Zhang Ran was able to acquire Prada this time, and it all depended on Wintour to match him, so he definitely had to give Wintour this face, so he refunded the ticket and waited for the appointment.

Soon, there were footsteps, and then Wintour's daughter Bishafer appeared in front of her, she saw Zhang Ran smiling and greeted warmly: "Mr. Zhang, long time no see." ”

After the original Clion Ball, Bishafer became a princess in many people's hearts, and even many people called her a princess when they left a message with her on Fly. Zhang Ran joked with her, put his right hand across his chest, bent down and said, "Her Royal Highness the Princess!"

Bishafer lifted her skirt and curtsy: "Mr. Knight!"

Zhang Ran laughed and said, "It's a pity that there is no music, otherwise I would invite you to dance!"

Bi Xia Fu winked at Zhang Ran and said, "Our school has a dance party today, are you interested?" She knew that Zhang Ran would not be interested, and without waiting for him to answer, she beckoned inside: "Please come in, Mr. Zhang!"

The living room is very spacious, beautifully decorated and has brilliant lamp walls. Walking into the living room, Zhang Ran saw Anna Wintour talking to Miucia Prada, next to Miucia Prada's husband, Pagio Bethel.

Wentour saw Zhang Ran, stood up, and greeted with a smile: "Robin, long time no see, welcome to be a guest." ”

Zhang Ran smiled and handed over the red wine: "Thank you, Anna, I hope you will like my gift!"

Wintour took the red wine with a smile and beckoned Zhang Ran to sit down: "Thank you, hurry up and sit down, we are all waiting for you!"

Zhang Ran had been negotiating with Miucia Prada and Pagio Bethel in recent days, and he had nothing to say about them, so he nodded and sat down.

After chatting a few words, Wintour heard that Zhang Ran was about to go to Los Angeles and asked, "How are you talking?"

Zhang Ran nodded and smiled: "An agreement has been reached." ”

Three days ago, after Miuccia Prada agreed to Zhang Ran's request to buy Prada, Zhang Ran had been talking to her and Pagio Bethel about the acquisition. In the past, the acquisition of Century Summit was based on the framework of Zhang Ran, and after the two parties reached the intention of acquisition, the acquisition team would negotiate the specific purchase price. But Prada is so hypocritical, if he doesn't talk to others, he has to talk to Zhang Ran. In their opinion, if you let other people talk to me, you will look down on me.

Zhang Ran was very painful, but he had no choice but to talk to them in person.

Miuccia Prada and her husband Pagio Bethel, along with other family descendants, own 95% of Prada, with the remaining 5% in the hands of Banco Intesa Sanpaolo. Yu Liping valued Prada at €3.5 billion, but Miucia Prada and her husband insisted that Prada was worth €5.5 billion.

Zhang Ran talked with them for two days, and saw that the other party never let go, and finally agreed to buy Prada for 5.5 billion euros.

The price is indeed on the high side, but as long as you can win the Prada, it is still very worth it.

Luxury is a fairly closed circle, which is difficult for outsiders to enter, and it is difficult for Asian companies, especially Chinese companies, to enter the European luxury industry for mergers and acquisitions. The luxury brands that China acquires are often third-rate brands, or brands that have been sold out in bankruptcy, and it is almost impossible to acquire first-tier or top-tier brands. At least before Zhang Ran's rebirth, I didn't hear of any domestic company that had acquired a well-run first-line luxury brand.

Zhang Ran knew that as long as he could successfully acquire a top luxury brand, he could break this situation and enter the luxury circle. Prada is a top luxury brand, with a world-class reputation, is one of the six blue-blood brands, and winning the door to Prada's luxury circle will completely open to Zhang Ran, and even to Chinese companies.

In the past, Chinese companies wanted to acquire luxury brands, and the other party would pretend to say that the Chinese would make the style worse! After the acquisition of Prada, it will be different, the other party dares to say so, it is completely possible to fight back, Prada, one of the six blue bloods, has been acquired by the Chinese, you are pretentious!

What's more, the acquisition is in the form of cash and shares, and the Prada family has become the second largest shareholder of the summit of the century, and with their connections and influence in the fashion industry, it will be much easier to acquire other fashion brands in the future.

Wintour didn't know what the negotiations were about, but he was very happy to hear that the two sides had reached an agreement, and he was successful in matchmaking, and the two sides would definitely admit it. She laughed: "Congratulations on becoming a shareholder of Prada!"

Zhang Ran said gratefully: "This is thanks to your matchmaking, otherwise I wouldn't have had the opportunity to sit down with Ms. Prada for face-to-face negotiations." ”

Miucia Prada smiled and said, "Anna, you're mistaken. It was not Mr. Zhang who became a shareholder of Prada, but Prada who became a shareholder of Mr. Zhang's company. ”

Wintour didn't understand what Miucia Prada meant, and asked, "What?"

Miucia Prada said: "Mr. Zhang bought Prada, and we became the second largest shareholder of his company. ”

Wintour was taken aback, she didn't expect that Miucia Prada and her husband would sell the company to Zhang Ran, Prada was the work of Miuccia for half her life, and she actually sold it?

Bishafer's eyes widened as well, Mr. Zhang bought Prada, wow, it's really cool!

Miusia Prada smiled indifferently: "I am sixty years old, and I have been thinking about the heir in recent years, but no one in the family is willing to take over, they all have their own careers and ideas. Although two young people succumbed to their family's sense of responsibility and entered the company, their abilities were limited. Mr. Zhang has the ability and has a series of development plans for Prada, and handing over the company to him is the best choice I can think of!"

Wintour sighed slightly when she heard this, how could this be the case with my daughter, I arranged for her to write a fashion blog column for media such as the Daily Telegraph, and let her intern in fashion magazines such as Teen Vogue, I paved the Cotai Strip for her in the fashion circle, but she wanted to be a journalist.

However, Wintour didn't say these words, took a breath lightly, and looked at Zhang Ran. A long time ago, she believed that Zhang Ran would show her strength in the fashion industry, but she didn't expect everything to come so quickly. She smiled at Zhang Ran and said, "The acquisition of Prada will completely open the door to you!" She believes that in the future, Zhang Ran will be like LVMH boss Bernard Arnault, calling for wind and rain in the fashion circle, and decided to sell Zhang Ran again: "The sponsor of next year's Met Gala has not yet been decided, I don't know if you are interested?"

The Met Gala is held in early May each year to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's School of Costume (now renamed the Anna Wintour School of Fashion) in New York. The domestic Bazaar Charity Night is a copy of this party.

If the annual Oscars are the party busters of the West Coast social scene, then the Met Gala can definitely be called the "Oscars of East Coast fashion." On this day every year, noble celebrities, Hollywood A-coffee stars, sports leaders, and fashion giants gather here to take out their most grand equipment to join this gorgeous event.

Each year, Vogue and a sponsor co-host the Met Gala, and the total cost of organizing a Met Gala is around $2 million. In addition, many fashion or jewelry brands such as Ralph Lauren and Tods will be invited to contract a few tables at the dinner and bring their designers and spokespersons to the show.

Therefore, the admission ticket for this party is not something that can be bought with money, and the stars who participate are mainly invited by the organizer, brand, fashion magazine, and of course, there will be some scattered tickets for sale, but the ticket price is also higher than a year. A Met Gala ticket now costs $25,000, while a full table costs $250,000.

If you want to attend the Met Gala, it is useless to have money, everyone on the guest list has to go through layers of approval by Wintour and his team. It is said that from Kim Kardashian to Kate Upton to Lindsay Lohan, they have all tried to lobby to brush their faces on the Met Gala red carpet without success. Because Kardashian's taste was so bad, Wintour couldn't look down on her, and she wasn't able to go along until her rapper boyfriend Kanye West was invited to perform. But afterwards, on the website of "VOGUE", her figure on the red carpet was cut clean.

Zhang Ran knows that there is never a shortage of sponsors for the Met Gala, even companies like Apple are rushing to get on it, Wintour is undoubtedly selling his favors, but the Met Gala can enhance the company's influence in the fashion industry, he can't ask for it: "No company wants to miss the opportunity to sponsor the Met Gala, I am very willing to sponsor, I don't know what the theme of next year is?"

Wintour explained with a smile: "The theme is American women: shaping the national image, mainly telling about the fashion and social changes of American women, and showing the image of modern American women as free and independent through dressing!"

Zhang Ran laughed when he heard the image of creating a free and independent American woman, Miucia Prada was committed to the left-wing movement when she was in college, and became a member of the Communist Party, and even crossed the street with a red book in her hand. But seriously, I'm actually looking forward to when the Met Gala will have a China-related theme party!"

Many top European designers such as Galliano, Armani, McQueen and others have works inspired by China, and recently there are more and more Chinese elements in the fashion industry, the influence of Chinese culture is increasing, and a number of Chinese designs have emerged. There is a point of view in the fashion industry that China is very much like Japan in the seventies and eighties, and it is likely that a group of masters like Rei Kawakubo will emerge that will have a profound impact on the entire fashion industry.

Wintour nodded slightly: "You're right, we can indeed hold an exhibition about China to show the influence of Eastern culture on Western fashion." She looked at Zhang Ran and said with a smile: "When the Met Gala holds a dance party with the theme of Chinese culture, I will definitely invite you to be the artistic director to create an audio-visual feast full of oriental charm." ”

Zhang Ran thought about it and said very seriously: "I think Director Wong Kar-wai, or Director Zhang Yimou is more suitable than me, they have a much deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture than me, but if you really want to find me as an art director, then I am duty-bound!"