The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Burberry and Gucci, which both show this week, have a lot to prove. Both labels have underperformed their peers for years and are betting on “brand elevation” strategies and designer resets to boost results. So far, they have provided case studies in how hard shifting consumer perception and pushing a brand upmarket can be, especially in a tough market where luxury demand has slowed.
At Burberry, it’s unclear whether the brand can command the price points that Daniel Lee’s looks require or whether the designer can adapt his vision to the label’s current reality. What’s more, while the brand has found some fresh, more elevated ways to tap into the “Britishness” of its DNA, much of what it has released recently has been too niche and complicated a take on what makes Britain desirable for most Burberry shoppers. Will the upcoming show click?
Meanwhile at Gucci, Sabato De Sarno’s palette-cleansing debut in September (an approach that was “mirrored” in his first men’s outing in January) helped put the brand back on the radar, but there wasn’t enough newness to generate the kind of heat the label needs to kick things back into gear. De Sarno’s collections have been precise, sexy and youthful, but have thus far failed to tell a story about what the new Gucci stands for. The designer needs to show he can do more than create desirable clothes. After the Alessandro Michele boom (and subsequent stagnation), what Gucci needs is a more stable but equally desirable brand story.
Sunday
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BAFTA Awards held in London
London Fashion Week: JW Anderson, Supriya Lele, Connor Ives, Dilara Findikoglu
Monday
London Fashion Week: Burberry
Wednesday
Milan Fashion Week: Diesel, Fendi, Roberto Cavalli, Etro
OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector
Thursday
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Milan Fashion Week: Prada, Moschino (Adrian Appiolaza’s debut), Tom Ford
Friday
Milan Fashion Week: Tod’s (Matteo Tamburini’s first collection), Gucci, Marni, Versace
Renewcell reports full-year results
Saturday
Milan Fashion Week: Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, Bally, Bottega Veneta
The Week Ahead wants to hear from you! Send tips, suggestions, complaints and compliments to brian.baskin@businessoffashion.com.
Robert Williams is Luxury Editor at the Business of Fashion. He is based in Paris and drives BoF’s coverage of the dynamic luxury fashion sector.
Vikram Alexei Kansara is Editorial Director at The Business of Fashion. He is based in London and oversees BoF’s luxury, fashion week, sustainability, global markets and opinion verticals.
The designer has always been an arch perfectionist, a quality that has been central to his success but which clashes with the demands on creative directors today, writes Imran Amed.
This week, Prada and Miu Miu reported strong sales as LVMH slowed and Kering retreated sharply. In fashion’s so-called “quiet luxury” moment, consumers may care less about whether products have logos and more about what those logos stand for.
The luxury goods maker is seeking pricing harmonisation across the globe, and adjusts prices in different markets to ensure that the company is”fair to all [its] clients everywhere,” CEO Leena Nair said.
Hermes saw Chinese buyers snap up its luxury products as the Kelly bag maker showed its resilience amid a broader slowdown in demand for the sector.