Kim Winser has luxury deals in sights

By Mark Potter

LONDON (Reuters) - Kim Winser, the former head of British luxury clothing brand Aquascutum, has drawn up a shortlist with investors of two potential acquisition targets as she considers her next move in the industry.

Winser told the Reuters Luxury Goods Summit on Tuesday her buyout bid for Aquascutum, whose rejection last month by Japanese owners Renown (3606.T) triggered her departure, was still on the table, though she did not expect talks to resume.

She has also been tipped as the next head of Italian fashion house Versace, whose chief executive quit on Friday, and as a future leader of British retailer Marks and Spencer (MKS.L), where she worked for over 20 years.

"(It's) a very difficult dilemma for me," said Winser, who made her name in luxury goods by taking Scottish knitwear brand Pringle from golf courses to catwalks.

She declined to comment on her next career move, but said that even though she was attracted to running her own business, she would join another if it was the right brand.

"For me it's the brand and the consumer and if you can have the right brand, I think it's the most important thing."

Winser said both her potential bid targets were foreign luxury goods brands that include clothing and accessories.

One has annual revenues of about 300 million pounds ($483 million) and has "just been allowed to trickle on a bit in the recent past."

The other has annual revenues of about 1.8 billion pounds and, as Aquascutum did, needs restructuring after it "probably tried to go too wide," Winser said.

She declined to name either bid target, or to give details of the investment firms with which she is working.

Winser was sanguine about the prospects for a quick recovery in the broad luxury goods market, but said top-of-the-range brands were less badly affected.

A number of brands could also change hands in the coming months as owners look to hive off underperforming assets and investors are attracted by lowly valuations.

INVESTORS AT THE READY

"There are so many brands out there for sale and even if they don't have a little tag outside saying they're for sale, they're definitely interested," she said.

"I've been surprised at how many people who are looking to invest," she added. "Certainly from what I'm experiencing in the last few weeks, I think they're ready (to strike deals)."