The next aspiring Marc Jacobs or Stella McCartney may find it harder to get financial backing as luxury dealmakers target well-established brands for growth and top design houses begin paring smaller assets. Industry executives and bankers told the Reuters Global Luxury Summit that the legacy of recession and new fears of a debt crisis in Europe had galvanized top brands like LVMH (LVMH.PA), Gucci Group NV (GUCG.PK) and Richemont at the expense of smaller brand names as they revamp strategies. Retail investment bank Financo Inc President and Chief Operating Officer William Susman said he viewed the retail world as “over-branded, over-stored and over-priced.” As a result, not every brand will survive, and it will become harder for niche brands to find a foothold. – from Reuters