The Couturier of Milan

by Ian Hamilton

  “We need to talk,” Ava said. “Could you leave us alone for a few minutes?”

  “Sure, we can,” Ventola said. “And don’t worry, the room isn’t bugged.”

  ( 10 )

  “I can’t believe the impact Clark’s work has had on them,” Amanda said as soon as the door closed behind the VLG group.

  “You mean had on Ventola,” May said.

  “Who else matters?”

  “No one, and I wasn’t being glib. His opinion reaffirms every decision we’ve made, and it tells me the reactions we got in Shanghai and London are genuine responses to Clark’s work. We’ve invested in a remarkable talent.”

  “And that leaves us with the decision about what to do with it,” Ava said.

  “You were firm enough with Ventola,” Amanda said.

  “That doesn’t mean he didn’t make some very good points,” Ava said. “Do any of you doubt that VLG could grow the PÖ brand faster than we can?”

  “No, and with their public relations machine they’d make Clark a star in no time,” Chi-Tze said.

  “We have our own PR people,” May said.

  “Yes, but their influence is mainly in Asia. We had to use freelancers in London, and we have no one in North America or the rest of Europe,” said Chi-Tze.

  “I thought you were happy working with the Pos,” May said.

  “I am and I’d love to keep at it, but there’s a business decision to make and we can’t ignore certain realities.”

  “The fact that VLG can give the Pos more support than we can?”

  “That may or may not be true,” Chi-Tze said, “but what I mean from the business side is that we have an opportunity to double or triple the Three Sisters initial investment by selling even a part of the business and the rights to VLG. And whatever part we keep could appreciate and produce revenue for Three Sisters for years.”

  “Is that what you’re recommending?”

  “No. Like I said, I love the path we’re on. I don’t want to change it. I just thought I should make the business argument.”

  “What do you think, Amanda?” Ava said.

  “Given Ventola’s enthusiasm, I think Chi-Tze is correct that we might be able to more than triple our investment and hang on to a piece of the action,” she said. “But I don’t want to sell. It’s too early. I want to find out what we’re capable of doing on our own. I think we’ve all made an emotional as well as a financial commitment, and I’m not ready to let go.”

  “May?”

  May drew a deep breath. “I love being involved in this business as well. There’s nothing more satisfying than building something from the ground up. I also take some irrational pride in the fact that we’re helping to introduce a rare Chinese talent to the rest of the world,” she said. “But I have a problem.”

  “And that is?”

  “I think we need to let Clark and Gillian make this decision,” she said. “We need to tell them that Ventola wants to take us out and replace us as their partners, with the same rights we have. We have to be honest about telling Clark it wouldn’t have a negative financial impact on us, but we have to be clear and firm that we don’t want to sell unless it is their wish. They need to know that we’re still totally committed.”

  “What would you do if you were them?” Ava asked.

  May hesitated. “I don’t know.”

  “Do we really have to ask them to make a decision now?” Amanda said. “Is this the right time or place to put them on the spot?”

  “I don’t want them to learn about the VLG offer from anyone else,” May said. “And the longer we delay, the more likely that becomes a possibility.”

  “I agree with Amanda that the timing is atrocious, but I also agree with May that we can’t drag our feet,” Ava said. “If Clark and Gillian are going to remain our partners, I want it to be for the right reasons, not just because we’ve tied them up contractually.”

  “What if he and Gillian want to see those sales and marketing projections that Raffi Pandolfo was talking about, before they make a decision?” Amanda said.

  “That could take weeks, and I can’t imagine that any of us want to be dangling in suspense for that long. Besides, we all know, including Gillian and Clark, that VLG can make those numbers read any way they want, and you can be certain they will look wonderful,” Ava said. She turned to Chi-Tze. “Could you please go and find Clark and Gillian? We might as well be direct and try to resolve this right now.”

  When Chi-Tze had left the room, Ava rose from her chair and poured a glass of water.

  “We shouldn’t have come to Italy,” May said. “All my instincts were telling me it was the wrong thing to do.”

  “They would have made their interest in buying PÖ known whether we were in Italy or not,” Ava said.

  “Chi-Tze and I have talked many times about something like this happening,” Amanda said. “But we never thought it would be this soon. We thought maybe it would take a few years, until after Clark was more firmly established.”

  “Yet here we are,” Ava said.

  “What do we ask for if they decide they want to be with VLG?” Amanda said.

  “Let’s not prejudge their reaction. Uncle taught me to take one step at a time. Getting too far ahead of ourselves is almost inviting bad luck.”

  They sat quietly for a few minutes.

  “I think —” Amanda began to say when the door opened. Chi-Tze led Clark and Gillian into the room.

  “What’s going on?” Gillian asked. “Chi-Tze is suddenly so tight-lipped and mysterious that I’m afraid of what I’m going to hear.”

  “It’s nothing that dramatic,” Ava said. “Dominic Ventola wants to buy the Three Sisters shares in PÖ.”

  “Some of them?”

  “We haven’t discussed a specific number, but it’s safe to assume they’ll want most of them,” Ava said. “And of course they will want all the rights. If we agree, then I imagine they’ll also want to buy enough of your shares to own more than fifty-one percent of the company.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Clark said, taking the chair next to Ava.

  “How did you respond to him?” Gillian said.

  “We haven’t. We wanted to talk to you and Clark first.”

  “Why?”

  “We believe it’s a decision that you should make.”

  “You want us to decide if you should sell your shares?” Gillian said.

  “To be absolutely clear, the last thing we want to do is sell our shares, and there isn’t a monetary value VLG could put on them that would persuade us otherwise.”

  “Then what’s this about?”

  “This is about PÖ and Clark’s career,” Ava said. “We can’t ignore the fact that joining VLG could give PÖ and Clark a huge boost. You would instantly have more money, more customers, and more marketing and PR muscle. We don’t want to deny you that opportunity if it’s what you want.”

  “We know what VLG can give us, and it is tempting,” Gillian said.

  “But we also know what they can’t give us,” Clark said.

  “Do you want to review the pros and cons?” May asked.

  “No, we know what they are,” Clark said with a brisk shake of his head. “Gillian and I talked about them last night, and again when we were in the studio just now.”

  “So what do you think?” Ava asked.

  “We’ve been in this business for our entire adult lives, and for nearly all that time we’ve worked for other people. Some were nice and some not so nice, but when all was said and done, they were the bosses and I was expected to do what I was told,” Clark said. “I understand that Three Sisters has some level of control over PÖ, but I’ve never felt it. I’m free to do whatever I want to do. You’ve kept your word. You’ve let me be me.”

  “That’s a wonderful compliment,” Ava said. “And not that I’m arguing VLG’s position, but what makes you think it would be any different working with them?”

  “When Mr. Fuda showed us the corpor
ate organization chart as part of his presentation, I searched it for the names of some of the design firms I know they’ve bought,” Clark said. “I found them halfway down or lower, buried in boxes below other boxes. I don’t want to be in a small box on the VLG organization chart. I know people who are in those boxes, and some of them are miserable. “

  “I can understand that,” Ava said.

  “I also know that when disagreements arise between the designer whose name is on the label and VLG, it’s the corporation that always wins. The designer leaves but VLG still owns his name, and they bring in a hired gun to replace him,” he said. “I don’t want to risk losing my name, and I don’t want PÖ creations being designed by someone who may be French or German.”

  “I think what my brother is saying is that we’re happy where we are,” Gillian said.

  ( 11 )

  Raffi Pandolfo returned to the boardroom with Gabriella Rossellini and Roland Fuda. He looked confident and smiled at everyone as he sat down.

  “Mr. Ventola?” Ava queried.

  “He has a meeting out of the office. Don’t worry, we’re authorized to act on his behalf, and he’s available by phone if we really need him,” Pandolfo said. He looked at Clark. “What did you think of the sea silk?”

  “It’s wondrous.”

  “I won’t tell you what it costs because I don’t think you’d believe me,” Pandolfo said. “But that’s the way it is with Dom. When he wants something, cost becomes irrelevant.”

  “He’s a remarkable man,” Clark said.

  “As, hopefully, you’re going to find out first-hand.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,” Ava said.

  Pandolfo’s eyes narrowed and Ava thought she detected a touch of malice in them. “Is that a no or a backdoor start to negotiations?”

  “That’s a no.”

  “You have no interest in what we might have to offer?”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “So no, just like that? No negotiations at all? I had expected we’d be haggling for a while.”

  “There’s nothing to haggle about.”

  “Even though you didn’t seem to have any interest, we were prepared to offer you a handsome premium over your investment.”

  “We invested in PÖ for a multitude of reasons, only one of which was money, and the others have prevailed,” Ava said.

  Pandolfo looked at Clark and glanced at Gillian. “I understand that Ms. Lee and her group have you bound by a rather onerous contract, and I’m sure she’s reminded you of that,” he said. “But if you’re prepared to leave them and join VLG, we’re prepared to finance and manage the legal battle to void it.”

  “Ava hasn’t mentioned the contract once since the day we signed it,” Clark said. “We’re staying where we are because we like where we are. I have my independence and I’m surrounded by people who understand me.”

  “They can’t do for you the things that we can.”

  “No, but they give me the unconditional support I need to grow. I’ll succeed or fail based on my own merits and not because I’m part of the VLG empire.”

  “Our empire, as you call it, is not a monolith. It consists of a large number of talented designers like yourself, all of whom we’ve invested in for a reason that sometimes goes beyond the talent.”

  “Why Clark, aside from the talent you think he has?” Gillian asked

  “As I told the other ladies a few minutes ago, we’ve been searching for an Asian identity. I probably shouldn’t be so frank, but that is my nature,” Pandolfo said. “We believe that Clark and PÖ could become the face of VLG in Asia.”

  “I think my brother already feels that he is the face of PÖ.”

  Pandolfo shrugged. “What do you have to say?” he asked Ava. “We can’t entice you?”

  “Mr. Pandolfo, I want to thank you and Mr. Ventola for the interest you’ve shown in us,” Ava said. “I wish there were some way we could have reached an understanding, but there obviously isn’t. I can only hope that there are no hard feelings.”

  “Dominic really wanted this deal to go through, for all the reasons we explained to you earlier,” he said.

  “We are aware of that, and again thanks for the interest.”

  “And he’s not going to be pleased that you’re turning us down.”

  “I’m sure you can explain our position.”

  “I won’t even try. He’ll have no interest in listening.”

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  “It may not be the only thing you regret.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Ava said.

  Pandolfo shook his head. “I’ve already said too much.”

  ( 12 )

  The Maseratis were still parked outside the office.

  “Where can we take you?” Riccardo asked, less effusive than he’d been in the morning. Ava guessed he’d been told that they were no longer welcome guests.

  “The airport, please,” she said and then turned to her colleagues. “I’ll have Amanda check on flights for all of us. Do any of you mind going through Hong Kong?”

  “Just get us out of here,” May said.

  “My feelings exactly,” Ava said.

  Ava, May, and Amanda rode together in one car. They were silent as Amanda worked her phone searching for flights. They were almost at the airport when she said, “There’s an Alitalia flight at 7:20 p.m. to Rome that connects to Abu Dhabi and from there to Hong Kong.”

  “What is the seat availability in business class?” May said.

  “It appears to be wide open.”

  “Put everyone in there if you can. They’ve earned it.”

  “Okay, and Ava, there’s a KLM flight at 7:30 p.m. to Amsterdam that connects to Toronto.”

  “Perfect,” Ava said.

  “I don’t have everyone’s passport information, so we can’t buy the tickets until we get to the airport.”

  “We have lots of time,” Ava said. She turned to Riccardo. “Could you let us off at the Alitalia departures door, please.”

  The Maseratis stopped directly in front of Alitalia and the drivers unloaded the bags. Ava took two fifty-euro notes from her purse and gave them to Riccardo. Chi-Tze gave the same amount to Giacomo.

  It took almost two hours to purchase the tickets, check their bags, clear Customs, and work their way through security. By the time they had reached the business lounge, Ava was ready for a drink.

  They found a table in a bar that had a full selection of liquor. Chi-Tze, Clark, and Gillian ordered Heinekens, Ava and Amanda a large glass each of Pinot Grigio, and May her usual gin martini with two green olives.

  “Cheers, my dears,” May said when they were served.

  “Well, this trip wasn’t exactly what we expected,” Ava said. “But it’s only a day out of our schedules, so we can get back to our normal routine tomorrow.”

  “Yesterday in London was really productive,” Chi-Tze said. “Now we need to follow up and do some closing.”

  “How many new accounts do you think we picked up?” May asked.

  “Five or six large ones,” Chi-Tze said.

  “Maybe even more than that,” Gillian added. “There are some still sitting on the fence, but I think a phone call from Clark and a little wooing will get them onside.”

  “Do you enjoy doing that?” Ava asked Clark.

  “I didn’t have to do it when I was designing private labels, and I was reluctant when Gillian and Chi-Tze asked me to do it after the Shanghai launch, but they persuaded me.”

  “You mean we browbeat and strong-armed you,” Gillian said.

  “That too.” He laughed. “But I found that I kind of enjoyed it, maybe because it was more about talking about the clothes than actually selling them.”

  “But he can sell,” Chi-Tze said. “He closes every conversation with the same question: ‘When can we expect the first order?’”

  “Speaking of wooing, I was surprised there wasn’t more of that from the
VLG group,” Ava said.

  “Me too,” Amanda said. “I thought they were rather abrupt, verging on being rude. It was as if they thought we would be so pleased to get their offer that we’d accept instantly.”

  “Dominic Ventola telling us to get the fuck out of Clark’s life was rude, not verging on rude,” Ava said.

  “He really said that?” Gillian asked.

  “He did, and we were all remarkably restrained,” Ava said.

  “More like in shock,” Amanda said.

  “He’s a man who’s obviously accustomed to getting his way and reacts badly when it doesn’t happen,” Ava said. She heard her phone ring and took it from her bag. “That’s uncanny.”

  “What is?” May said.

  “Dominic Ventola appears to be calling me.”

  “Answer it.”

  “I’m not sure I want to.”

  “Ava!”

  She pressed the answer button. “This is Ava Lee.”

  “This is Dominic Ventola. Where are you?”

  “At the airport.”

  “Raffi told me about your decision earlier, but I was in a meeting and couldn’t contact you,” he said. “That’s probably just as well. It gave me a chance to calm down.”

  “I’m sorry you felt it necessary to calm down.”

  “I don’t take bad news very well. I’ve been that way my entire life, and I don’t apologize for it, because it has helped more often than not,” he said. “Now tell me, what can I do to improve the offer that Raffi made to you earlier?”

  “Our position hasn’t changed. We’re prepared to sell a minority stake in the company and nothing more.”

  “We don’t buy minority stakes.”

  “We understand that, but we are unanimous in our position. We will not give up control of PÖ,” Ava said. “Mr. Ventola, we are very appreciative of the interest you’ve shown in Clark and the brand. I hope you understand that our decision is in no way a negative reaction to you or to your company. We simply want to follow our own path.”