Tammy Kane

While there's been no official announcement on whether PPR will invest in Christopher Kane's eponymous label, the latest reports suggest the firm is getting closer to making a deal.

Unnamed sources have told WWD that Alexis Babeau, managing director of PPR's luxury division, has interviewed candidates to be the brand's new CEO once it becomes part of PPR's portfolio. Kane currently runs the business with his sister Tammy.

Rumors that PPR would add Kane's label to its stable of brands — which includes Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and Gucci, among others — started going around when Kane left his position as the creative director of Versace's secondary line Versus. At the time, it was rumored that Kane would come to PPR to replace Nicolas Ghesquière as the creative director of Balenciaga, a job that eventually went to Alexander Wang. Kane has reportedly been in talks with PPR since November, but so far nothing concrete has come from the meetings.

>> Yesterday, Versus hit the runway for the first time in over a decade, under the creative direction of Christopher Kane. “To restore Versus like it used to be means to bring this collection once again on the catwalk, to show in a proper location and in a proper town, and to intrigue the VIP,” Donatella Versace told W. “And it will keep getting bigger and bigger. But not too big. Not yet. Because we are not ready. If you do it big, then you’ve got to do it big. I never really gave Christopher a proper party before either, but I will.”

The Spring 2011 collection, shown against a playground backdrop with a soundtrack of children at play, prompted the Wall Street Journal to write of Kane and Versace's professional relationship: "It was hard not to look at Versus and wonder who [between Versace and Kane] is influencing whom.  Spokesman Tomaso Galli insists Mr. Kane is the understudy. I asked if Mr. Kane consulted on the Versace collection. 'No. Not at all,' Mr. Galli said firmly. 'Not at all.'"

But that doesn't mean that Kane won't be working on the Versace collection one day. When W asked if she could see Kane heading up the house, Donatella replies without hesitation: “At the moment Versus is enough. But I can see him there, yes. For sure.”

Between now and then, however, Kane may have to change his laissez-faire attitude towards celebrity clientele — they are part of the brand DNA. The Versace show was delayed on Friday for more than 45 minutes waiting for January Jones to arrive, whereas Kane once cordially told Victoria Beckham no when she asked for a dress to be sent. “Yes, but let’s get this straight,” explains Kane. “I’ve got nothing against her. I think she’s really great. I think she’s really beautiful. I just wasn’t in a position to gift celebrities at that point. So in the end she bought it.”

>> Don't Be Surprised if Christopher Kane Has a TV-Inspired Collection —Christopher Kane prefers not to do his designing at his 4,000 square foot east London studio, but rather at home in front of the TV: “Television’s brilliant.” His sister, Tammy Kane, who is instrumental to the business, agrees: “It relaxes you, doesn’t it?” The two do everything together, even vacationing with their boyfriends (Christopher's been seeing Declan Tomany, a lawyer, for four years), but they're currently disagreeing — Tammy wants to bring in a designer to help with the workload: “I know he doesn’t want it. He hates anything that’s not his.” Christopher's response? “I’ll just ignore him,” says Christopher, flicking his hair in mock annoyance. [Times UK]