Brand Trends - Fashion Branding

Fashion Branding - October, 2003 - July, 2004

 

I found the book, Christian Dior : The Man Who Made the World Look New, by Marie-France Pochna to be an excellent introduction to fashion branding. Let me paraphrase some of Dior's philosophies about fashion.

1. Branding is all about culture and the merchants of fashion ideas are a direct mirror of society and its culture.

2. High fashion is an art form, using the power of imagination to give us an indication of magical seeds of things to come through the power of imagination.

3. Fashion fulfills our desires for fantasy and gives people an escape and a way to rise above our daily life. Fashion stylizes the contours of the female body, enhances female beauty, provides tools for seduction, idealizes our existence, and gives women the power enhance their view of themselves by showing them at their best.

Some top-line fashion branding techniques:

1. Transform the brand name into a potent symbol.

2. Codify the house style.

3. Showcase new styles with runway productions.

4. Promote a single image for all merchandise.

5. Fashion and the press are wedded.

6. Consider distribution to be a partner to fashion.

7. Quality and reliability are hallmarks of great fashion brands.

8. Change with the times.

From Vision to Catwalk, Backstage at Dior
The New York Times, January 20, 2004

First off, let me admit that I love the Dior brand and its look and feel. Check out the Dior web site to see what I mean. The Dior shows are a major production, complete with outrageous clothes, beautiful women, and of course the Dior logo is very visible and every photographer gets a good clean shot. Shows by Dior's John Galliano are seductive and extravagant, producing the publicity and the creative energy that fuels the other parts of Dior's business

 

From Catwalk to Sidewalk
The Wall Street Journal, February 6, 2004

A key goal of the fashion business is to take designers' best ideas then translate them for real people to wear. New designers and their themes showcase their talents on the runways, which stores then use to create demand for new trends and labels.Runway styles, the usually highly creative fashion presentations by the major designers, grab attention, create word-of-mouth around a brand and ultimately establish leverage with stores in the form of more floor space and better terms.

 

The Vuitton Machine: Inside the World's Biggest, Most Profitable Luxury Brand
BusinessWeek Magazine, March 22, 2004

Down in the basement of Louis Vuitton's courtly Paris headquarters is the test laboratory, a high-tech torture chamber for its fabled luxury goods. There, handbags are filled with an 8-pound weight, then hoisted by a robotic arm to a height of a half-meter, then dropped to the floor. A robotic wrist shakes a Vuitton charm bracelet vigorously to ensure no charm falls off.

 

Desire and ego are the hallmark of luxury fashion - check out the ads in the fashion trade pubs. To create a "want" that stands out from its competitors is key. What makes Vuitton stand out?

1. A relentless focus on quality.

2. A rigidly controlled distribution network.

3. No markdowns or sales are allowed on Vuitton bags.

4. Efficient production in design and manufacturing.

5. Operating efficiencies that enable them to increase advertising and global expansion without impacting the bottom line.

The strengths of Vuitton are many. One is the Vuitton brand loyalty and its status. Women feel one bag is not enough when two Vuitton bags will do so much better. Men also "buy into the dream of Louis Vuitton," buying the status of Vuitton briefcases, wallets, eyeglass cases, watches, jewelry, shoes, belts, etc. Another strength is the speed at which a new design moves into production. Vuitton now moves a product from the decision to launch until it hits the store within six months, almost half what it took five years ago. At the factory, employees work in teams and are encouraged to suggest manufacturing improvements.

 

Besides improving internal operations, Vuitton's size and brand equity enables it to leverage its large ad budget, 5% of revenues, which is half the industry average. Of course, it helps that the ads feature Jennifer Lopez and supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss.

 

After Long Slump, U.S. Retailers Look to Britain for Fashion Tips
The Wall Street Journal, April 22, 2004

Over the past four years, women's apparel sales are down 10% in the US and up 20% in the UK. Even with 70% of clothes selling at full price in Britain compared to 46% in the U.S.

 

Clearly, the U.S. women's clothing industry needs change. U.S. sales declined 6.6% in 2003 to $88.9 billion, according to marketing-information firm NPD Group.

 

Britain's secret to improved sales of women's clothing: change with the times and make shopping fun. Brits on their shopping sprees find pink shopping cards, giant caterpillar-shaped benches and - in one bid to woo customers - 500 naked people on the escalators. Selfridges & Co. included tattoo parlors and body piercing. Window displays of strip-club pole dancers and pictures of models in lingerie wearing cat-head masks add excitement to the shopping experience. America's department stores? Boring.

 

Other British retailers have overhauled their approach to fashion as well as the look of their stores. Incorporating a "constant newness" approach, New Look Retailers Ltd brings in new items weekly at its 511 stores, nearly six times as often as the average U.S. chain does. When skirts look too similar, executives got suppliers to provide more distinctive patterns.

 

Different shopping styles affect the differences in retailing. British women shop for clothes an average of three to five times a month, a rate twice as often as U.S. women. British women also spend two to three hours per trip while American women spend less than two hours. British women feel it is acceptable to wear a high fashion item; many American women don't.

 

Lancome to rely less on the rose and more on a Bold signature to reach younger cosmetics users.
The New York Times, July 6, 2004

L'Oreal, the parent company of Lancome, is dramatically transforming its brand to appeal to younger cosmetic buyers. Changes include:

• Brief bullet points instead of wordy paragraphs

• Strong emotional appeal rather than the rational appeal of "advanced" and "time-release."

• Shiny sensual lips and the archetypal apple (Eve) versus the soft, innocent rose.

• A bold, contemporary signature.

All pointing to a deeper emotional connection with consumers.

 

Brand Manager Deluxe
The Wall Journal, October 10, 2003

Multi-fashion brand marketing is best personified by Bernard Arnault's "LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton" (now that's a long corporate brand name!). It is the world's largest luxury-goods conglomerate, with some 60 fashion and spirits brands, from Fendi, Givenchy, Donna Karan, and Pucci to Dom Perignon, Moet Chandon and Hennessy.

 

Bernard Arnault's top five qualities for a "star brand:" timeliness, modernity, high profitability, growth, and something more.