The revival of the brand Lacroix by AnnePieters

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The revival of Lacroix, by: Emilia Geerlof, Anne Pieters, Manuela Senzioni, Vanessa Esmaeili, David Kenzler and Lizaira Angela

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Lacroix’ identity

Concept

the costumier historical context visual identity past target group and muses brand prism and archetype the downfall

concept vision, mission, values collection

Market analysis

Graphic identity

main market trends gap in the market

the logo, the colors, the font

Target group

Strategic solution

the target group consumer needs

brand positioning value to the market SWOT analysis

82 Marketing strategy the brand launch retail communication channels licensing

102 Sources

CON TEN TS

LAC R0IX HIST ORY

The costumier ‘‘ Haute Couture should be fun, foolish and almost unwearable - Christian Lacroix

‘‘

Inclusivity within exclusivity Christian Lacroix: the French Haute Couture Designer who’s collections where thriving in the late 80’s and early 90’s dressing aristrocatic and New York’s High Society women. His creations embodied spectacular combinations of his provencal roots, his passion for folklore and fascination with the history of clothing. Unexpected mixtures of bright colors, opulent textures and vivashious prints made him famously known as the “man with the magic paintbrush”. His ever growing passion for theater, traveling and arts, with the years further drew him

away from fashion and reality. It’s no suprise he would be known as the Costumier. He further lost himself into his fantasy world of women dressed in costumes, more exuberant and layered than in times of Napoleon Bon Aparte and the crinolines. His extravagant use of vibrant colour palettes had changed the otherwise darker, duller fashion trends of the time. He provided a cheery alternative to the sober elegant creations of other couturiers.

Historical context

80s The decades’ high earners began to soar and Lacroix delivered exactly what the age demanded: more, more, more.

90s Lacroix made it into pop-culture with ‘‘Absolutely Fabulous” sitcom, which talks about an over-the-top fashion show producer, whose love for Lacroix was invoked as a symbol of her being out of touch.

early 00s The fashion world and the fashion public are embracing fantasy and allow Lacroix for a short moment to be “relevant” for the Zeitgeist.

‘93 •

The LVMH Group completely took over the Christian Lacroix brand.

‘87: •

‘86: •

•

First launch of his own Haute Couture house with financial help from LVMH founder B. Arnault. A rising Star through his voluminous and extravagant

First revolutionizing Vogue cover: his work is appropriately described as “fantasylike’’, almost costumelike dressing-up, but the Vogue cover is going against the standards and freshing it up (also typical

‘88 •

Lacroix). •

collection for Patou.

First pret-a-porter, inspired by different cultures, was an attempt to increase the company’s revenues, as the couture collections did not generate profit. Opens boutiques in Paris, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse, London, Geneva,

‘90 •

The launch of his perfume to reach traditional massmarket, failed and got withdrawn just a year later.

and Japan.

80s

90s

- Counter flow against the aggression of the decade’s shoulder pads, aerobicised bodies, and paralysing good taste. - The effect is of a costume party where everyone has a good time. - Late 80’s early 90’s his height of success.

- The theater becomes more dominant in his work and his attempt to find his niche in ready-to-wear didn’t work out. - “The bloom wore off”.

‘08 • ‘00 •

He becomes popular again thanks to wedding dresses (trying to change brand

Throughout its history, “Christian Lacroix” never turned a profit and reported

‘10 •

a €150 million loss.

Lacroix walked away from the brand completely, but he still designs womenswear in partnership with Desigual.

image).

‘99 •

‘09 • Working as a costume designer for Regisseur Vincent Boussard, letting his passion for theater overshadow his work in

•

fashion. ‘94-’96 • Trying to move into home products such as linen and

‘00-’05 • Lacroix becomes Director

Lacroix’ final A/W 2009 Haute Couture was privately financed by Lacroix and each model was paid €50. Banktrupcy and reduced to licensing. New owners of the label the ‘Falic Group’ restricted the lines to perfumes and accessories.

‘20 •

Lacroix

collaborates with

Dries van Noten.

at Pucci.

ready-to-wear.

00s

2021

- More financial losses and failing to create longterm relevant change of his brand image.

Visual identity Signature style Celebrating French joie de vivre with dazzling colours and striking prints, it perfectly matches the brand’s signature bold style, as he tried to recapture the glamour of the 50’s and give French couture new fresh impulses (going against the miniamilism around he 90’s). His signature style is about excess and abundance, embodying his devotion to theatre, opera and ballet. His use of the signature Butterflies and Baroque elements, was inspired by the panache of fashion in the era surrounding the French Revolution, with the Butterfly as a symbol of liberty and freedom (during the Revolutionary period).

The fabrics Lacroix started mixing different regions of the world and time periods (especially antique baroque which is also visible in his older logo). The typical silhouette mainly consists of trapezium and pyramid

shapes. The looks are layered by drapes, wavy curves and exagerated bows creating a whimsical atmosphere. He liked to use a lot of different fabrics like tweed, velvet, tapetsry, crepe stains and printed fabrics. His design would be accompanied with chunky jewellery embroidered berets, bejeweled crosses, either hanging or incorporated into the embroidery. The colors Shades of shocking pink, hellfire orange and a sickly gooseberry chartreuse. Bold colours that could all be present in one Lacroix outfit.

Past target group and muses Marie Seznec Martinez Seznec’s uniqe grey hair look, as a young woman, while dressed in Lacroix’ clothing will always be a moment of fashion history where muse and maker are combined.

White Elitist/ aristocratic women: “You can’t sit with us“ Pouf dresses and embroidered jackets became status items for a new generation of luxury shoppers, often viewed as trophy wives, who spent much of the decade swimming in money and looking for a way to live it up and show it off.

Joséphine de Beauharnais The details in Lacroix’ couture, love for embroidery and the baroque, highly pays tribute to one of the trendiest women around the time of the french revolution: Joséphine de Beauharnais.

Lily Cole With her youthful allure, the British top model became the new muse of Christian Lacroix. When the stylist drew a line for a ready-to-wear brand, he called on her to represent it. When he imagined the wedding dress that would close his parades, he would think of her. Lily Cole and her doll face had taken pleasure in evolving in the magical universe of Lacroix.

Vision You deserve to be the woman of your own dreams.

Mission Creating extravagant and theatrical costumes that take women into a fantasy world.

VALUES Juxtaposition, theatrical, spiritual, fizzy

PHYSIQUE the ‘Pouf’ metaphor butterfly juxtaposition Provencal roots, folklore shocking pink, hellfire orange, sickly gooseberry chartreuse

RELATIONSHIP platform for expression facilitating extravagance you can’t sit with us / invite only not commercial

REFLECTION effervescent as champagne aristocratic women exquisite

PERSONALITY exuberant fizzy vanity theatrical decadent

CULTURE excessive counterflow white elitist paradox of fantasy and reality/escapism

SELF IMAGE I am royalty I’m the women of my dreams

The downfall When he couldn’t turn his designs into gold: •

Fantasy was disconnected from financial reality

•

Not functional

Even when he introduced his readyto-wear line, the designer, known for his usage of extravagant corsets and crinolines, would often get asked by journalists: “How do you sit in a bustle? And who in the world will buy your clothes?”

Even in its heyday, the house failed to make a profit. In its 22-year lifetime it is thought to have made losses of around €150m (£136m). Lacroix was unable to translate his artistic verve into financial profit. The designer liked to focus on clothes that would cost huge amounts of money to make and were unlikely to ever be worn.

•

Emerging of post feminist era

Economic crisis

The stock market in 1987 crashed and the road to recovery was long. A crack epidemic raged and some felt unease leaving the house dripping in jewels, flitting around in flashy Lacroix dresses. There was nothing minimal about them. “There was a Marie Antoinette quality to his clothes, and then the guillotine came down.” - New York Times.

Emerging critics saw a parade of trussed-up, trophy wives that Lacroix was overflowing with his “far from reality costumes“ and argued that the designer was atavistic, oblivious to the realities of women who were not simply partying but also working. As the role of women in society was changing, Lacroix wasn’t able to respond to that and became out of touch for the women.

MAR KET ANA LYSIS

macro

The target group age shift Their spending behaviour The Millennials and Gen Z prefer personal connections with those who manage their money, who reflect their highly held values of trust, authenticity, and choice. They spend more on clothing then the previous generation. 69% of the Millennial and Gen Z generation buys clothes for reasons beyond basic necessity. They value purpose over solely product and this results in 75% of them considering it fairly or very important that brands give back to society instead of just making a profit.

The shift Within the last few years, young consumers and digital natives within the age category Millennials and Gen Z became the largest segment of luxury buyers. They represent about 32% of the luxury market now, but will grow to command 50% of the market by 2025. While these HENRY’s (high-earners-notyet-rich) like to spend on high-end items and experiences, many of them do not ‘feel’ rich. They have little savings, high debt and a need to keep working to keep spending. Brands need to adapt to speaking their language and hyper digital lifestyle in order to stay relevant.

‘‘ More than half of Gen Z

and Millennials - are currently boycotting at least one company for their lack of diversity - CompareCards, 2020 report

‘‘ The rise of social awareness As the HENRY’s continue to become more socially aware, luxury brands need to become more diverse, more inclusive and more sustainable and ethical. Being more transparant and trustworthy is non-negotiable. There is an increasing pressure on fashion companies to become proactive advocates of diversity and inclusion. This Millennial and Gen Z target group fights for their rights, norms and values by letting their voices be heard. They are the pioneers of environmental and social change. Mainly as a result of the worldwide Covid pandemic where social isolation has become the norm, Millennials and Gen Z feel the urge to dress up, to express themselves, to be their hyper creative selves again. They plead for a world where extreme self expression in every form and shape is accepted.

The rise of the Asian luxury market The Asian market, and especially China, has emerged into the promised land for luxury growth. Reasons for this are the fact that the EU and USA are financially more unstable and the population within Asia is increasingly female. Their success is due to the fact that they are the most digitally active within the world, mostly on mobile. They have been using social buying for years via WeChat’s ecosystem that spans the entire consumer journey and integrates everything from a social media channel to a payment method and they are locally relevant (to stay agile in satisfying ongoing consumer needs). China will continue to provide exciting opportunities and play a leading role in the global fashion industry, but the colossal market is proving harder to crack than brands anticipated. As some successful players become over-reliant on China and others struggle, companies should consider spreading their risk by expanding to other high-growth geographies, such as Russia, Brazil and Southeast Asia. Expect greater competition from unknown players in the Asian supply chain who design popular items to sell at affordable prices using cross-border e-commerce platforms.

Experiental retail: cross hybrid There is a rise in experiental retail, also called ‘‘the re-birth of a store’’, where experiences through shopping offer the extra dimension customers are looking for. Their products get meaning, they tell a story, rather than just the functionality of that product. Different markets meet through cross-hybrid concepts to offer a fully immersive way to experience the brand.

Hyper targeted digitalisation Within the last few years, the market took a major dive into the digital universe. Consumers shop online in large numbers and social media became both the online presence of the brand and the new shopping storefront (‘social shopping’). Hyper digitalised and personalised customer service options are new ways to connect to consumers. There have been interactive innovations such as VR, AR, Live Stream shopping and more. This digital first approach within retail reflects the change in people’s shopping habits.

The urge of touch; the urge to physical love Remembering what it felt to be held and kissed by friends and strangers? With more than a year into the current Covid Pandemic, this simple urge to be touched, to be pyshically loved is gaining more and more power. We have been inside this social isolated bubble for long enough to start craving for the time when the air was less charged and less ancient, where life was more lush. We are craving this place of escape we used to have, to leave all the stress of the bitter week behind, to dance, to be kissed and held in the dark. The moment to experience life in a different way.

The new kind of luxury •

There is luxury in self-improvement

•

The Covid pandemic encouraged the break through of an underlying trend where there is an urge for products that help with self-improvement and personal fullfillment. There is luxury in self-improvement and products that make people feel mentally, emotionally and physically better about themselves. These people see the value in goods and services that enable them to learn something new.

There is luxury in purpose and longevity

Net Zero Retail, green shopping options, are booming. There is luxury in products that keep people healthy, safe and secure. There is a need for fewer but better luxury goods that have a real purpose and add value to their lives as well as an extension to the product’s lifespan.

•

There is luxury community spirit

fostering

•

There is luxury in transparency

Sustainability as a necessity, for sustainability and luxury are one and the same. Brands need to drive loyalty to maintain trust as they become a leader to drive attention and awareness and to set an examplairy role.

Luxury isn’t about showing off wealth anymore, it’s about expressing a certain subculture. Quarantainment: digital becomes social (the crossover between digital and physical)

MAR KET GAP

micro

Retailtainment Secret & intimate retail, also called ‘‘retailtainment’’ (retail + entertainment) forms an opportunity to connect to your consumers on a deeper level, as well as offering unique experiences to fit seamlessly into their high-flex lifestyles. It offers a unique and one-off experience to counter the homogeneity and accessibility of social media. Luxury brands need to stand out, they need to generate buzz around their actions in order to fit into these highly digital, highly saturated consumer interests. Being different yet still desirable and succeeding in making people feel that they have connected with something special, that’s what’s important. The new luxury consumers seek for community with like-minded people and a more discrete, intimate kind of experiental luxury.

Invite only Self expression rather than status or age In order to fullfill the needs and desires of these new experiences and community driven consumers, VIP services should be optimized in order for brands to make all consumers, not just the wealthiest, feel special. An invite-only approach based on selfexpression rather than status or age is a way to build a foundational and more inclusive customer base. The trick is to give consumers a reason to want to be invited, mainly because they feel the need to belong to an ‘‘exclusive’’ community, to be at the forefront of the Zeitgeist. Inclusivity within exclusivity is the right way to go. Besides that, there should still be an opportunity to connect audience and brand outside of the inviteonly concept.

Cross-hybrid concepts A way to make this invite-only model beneficial and interesting for a more inclusive community is to offer crosshybrid concepts. These offer a fully immersive way to experience the brand. Since economic fluctuations and their affect on the apparel retail business are one of the largest risk factors, it is highly profitable to tie up with multiple different retail chains and to diversify into other markets such as the entertainment industry, the local hospitality industry or the art scene.

Inclusivity over wealth

For endurance, the invite-only approach works best in the early stages of a brand launch. Examples of successful invite-only models are the Clubhouse audio-chat social network app, the appointment-only footwear boutique World of Niche and Luxury Stores by Amazon. A common pitfall of this inviteonly approach is the fact that the current most exclusive concepts are for crazy rich people and too elitist to fullfill this need for inclusivity. Epic Privé by Net-a-Porter, Pininfarina Sergio by Ferrari and Tiffany & Co.’s secret salon are examples that only speak to the wealthiest.

Cross dressing and the improvement of cultural and political climate for the LGBTQIA+ community The Asian market, and especially China, forms a great market to enter, not only because of its premium position as the promised land for luxury growth, but also because of its leading role within the LGBTQIA+ community and its long history of cross dressing on stage. Shanghai and Chengdu are seen as the leading gay capitals and are relatively inclusive and open-minded. The RuPaul type of drag also finds its popularity in China through live streaming websites such as Bilibili. As an international metropolis and a harbour city, Shanghai has been a safe haven for gender and sexual minorities from different parts of the world. Shanghai as a global city is certainly a perfect space to develop a transnational form of drag culture against the backdrop of it’s booming creative and cultural economies.

Self expression through inclusive creativity The social isolation aspect of the global Covid pandemic has resulted into a shared need for connection, creative stimulation and inspiration to enable us to thrive and imagine a new reality beyond the pandemic. Different platforms arised for artists to showcase their talents, to seek for new ways of inspiration and to stay connected to the creative world. As we seek for new ways to keep ourselves happy and motivated, new ways of creativity and self expression are on the rise. There now is the possibility to reach out to a potential mentor through Instagram Livestreams, listen to a podcast by someone you artistically admire on the Clubhouse app or attend a free workshop on a topic you have been avoiding for years. Well-known artists and writers who, pre-lockdown, were difficult to access online, or in real life, are now more reachable (and responsive) as more people reach outward to connect internally. Everyone is different. What you choose as a self-care ritual will depend on your mood, your values, your taste and your level of enthusiasm, and willingness to try something new. Everyone can take part in the creative world.

TAR GET GRO UP

The Woke Show Offs

‘‘ Their inclusive mindset is

their entrance ticket to an exclusive world

‘‘

Inclusivity within exclusivity In the age of questioning gender identity, breaking its strict barriers and critically questioning the patriarchy, a new form of exclusivity has evolved. An inclusive mindset is now the entry ticket to this exclusive club and yet it is lavish, excessive and flamboyant. There is a need to feel like they belong again, to feel free for self expression and social interaction with like minded people after many months of isolation. They want to feel like their hyper creative selves again.

lavish expressive flamboyant

Lifestyle and interests The Woke Show Offs - literally show off their skills, sense of fashion and style but also their mindset and political opinions with pride - mostly online. Since then a safe space has been created for like minded people on Tiktok, Instagram and Clubhouse. While they do love make-up, fashion and skincare and the nightlife they are equally involved in politics and activism for example; BLM, LQBTIQA+, SexWorkisWork, AborationLaws and other SocialPolitical Topics.

Consumer needs After the pandemic and lockdowns there is a desperate need to find a physical space that hosts their extravagant selves filled with ideas, opinions, fantasies and dreams. A place where they can buy products that highlight their identity and are free from gender barriers and the social construct called; gender. Hyping each other up for the moment when they have fun night outs ready to celebrate themselves and the people who understand them.

CO NCE PT

Lacroix’ Fantasy

As a consequence of social isolation and loneliness, Lacroix’ Fantasy provides an extravagant escape from reality. This platform is all about self-expression and lavish freedom. Lacroix’ Fantasy is for the Woke Show Offs who use fashion as a vehicle to stand out and hunker for a community feeling to show off their unique status. We dial up the night in this exclusive and extravagant world where individuals can dress up or dress down in their own performance. Lacroix’ Fantasy takes humans on a night trip where they can enjoy themselves and others in the most avant-garde extravagance, own Lacroix’ beverage and Lacroix’ cosmetics to finish the look.

platform for expression lavish freedom escape reality

Vision Everyone should be able to express themselves to the fullest and experience lavish freedom.

Mission We offer an extravagant escape from reality within the after hours.

VALUES Lavishly excessive, avantgarde extravagance, free spirited. 51

COL LECT ION

Night Extravaganza

Collection Lacroix’ Fantasy collection “Night Extravaganza” consists of expressive, genderless and affordable after hour luxury looks. Lacroix’ iconic pouf is implemented in a variety of modern ways. The charm of contradiction in color, shape and fabric refers back to the juxtaposition Lacroix used to have within his own collections. The look and feel is all about opposites attracting each other. Big, glittery poufs combined with colorful tights.

charm of contradiction dial up the night iconic pouf

Look and feel ‘Night Extravaganza’ is a collection full of contrasts. Bold colors in combination with pastels and poufy elements together with more simple and close-fitted parts make it a charm of contradiction. The clothing shapes refer back to the iconic Lacroix pouf. The clothing is lavish and excessive with a lot of contrast fabrics and shiny details: perfect to dial up the night.

‘‘ There was no darkness or sobriety in Lacroix’ world, as fizzy and effervescent as champagne. It was an exercise in extreme fantasy and makebelieve – Alexander Fury

Dial up the night Express yourself to the fullest and experience lavish freedom An extravagant escape from reality within the after hours

‘‘

Photography The Woke Show Offs are lavish, excessive and flamboyant throughout the whole day. They want to be able to express themselves at any place, at any time. The photography captures all these different moments. Club kids Every night out ends, or even begins, with a blur. We embrace the blurry hours by capturing these moments. This photography style contains action shots in the dark with flash lights. The models are looking into the camera in a powerful yet sensual way. They can’t be missed within the club. After Hours The party doesn’t end in the club. The after hours contain sudden snapshots at random places, mostly using a flash light. It seems like the models feel caught on camera or try to capture it themselves by looking into the lens.

Sassy Glamour The Woke Show Offs like to express themselves and show off their lavish, excessive and flamboyant style outside of the club as well. This photography style has a slightly more romantic yet still lavish vibe in a studio setting.

Styling Romance in disorder The styling shows contrast in fabrics and styles and the clothing is combined in a modern way with a reference to Lacroix’ juxtaposition. Modern and shiny knee high boots complete a dress or frilly blouse. The combination of the outfits, pose and surroundings often contain a humoristic element.

GRA PHIC IDEN TITY

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The logo The logo has been modernized and simplified. The circle stands for the wholeness of the story the brand wants their consumers to experience: infinity, absolute freedom and bound by nothing. We use two circles to represent the fantasy world of Lacroix. The circles can turn or stand still in the same or opposite direction; it doesn’t matter. That’s what freedom is about.

When designing the logo, it was important that the typography was allround and adaptable. For the outer circle, the typography of all the logos Lacroix ever used has been replaced by a Sans Serif one: still elegant but slightly more present-time. The inner circle, where Lacroix’ name is used, is in a classic Serif font to connect it to the heritage of the brand and to honor it.

The colors The previous Lacroix colors were really bold, with for example shades of shocking pink, hellfire orange and a sickly gooseberry chartreuse. Lacroix used multiple of those colors at the same time within his outfits. To appeal to the new target group, The Woke Show Offs,

the colors have been adjusted into more muted ones and a few in-between tones have been added to broaden the color palette. In this way, a combination of multiple ones within one outfit avoids it from being too loud.

Typography The typography within the booklet has a contrast going on between a Sans Serif font for the titles, and a Serif font for the main text. This choice was made with a reference in mind to the previous use of

Juxtaposition within Lacroix. To refer back to the Night Extravaganza theme, a font with a slight glitch is used for the larger chapter titles.

Avenir Book

Avenir Heavy

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STRA TEGIC SOLU TION

Positioning statement

Christian Lacroix is for the Woke Show Offs, who are free spirited and flamboyant. Their inclusive mindset is their entry ticket to our exclusive Lacroix world. Our ‘Night Extravaganza’ collection is there to make them feel sensational during night time.

PROBLEM The target group is extroverted and outlandish: they want to be seen. However, they feel like they can’t fully express themselves. There is a need to belong to an inclusive community with like minded people, where they can be their hyper creative selves.

SOLUTION Lacroix offers the target group an inclusive and safe haven where they can embrace their utopia without exclusion by owning their cultural capital.

Brand positioning

To innovate Lacroix, we want to focus on the modernisation of our target group and the fact that the avant-garde style fits our target group better than the previously classic style. The Woke Show Offs are the pioneers of self-expression: they lead the trends instead of following them. Within this new positioning, the consumers take a more leading role in determining the trends, where Lacroix fulfilled this role more solo in the past. We don’t want to lose Lacroix’ core identity, because the brand always has been a boss in leading the fashion industry. We still compete against luxury brands, but the brand can’t be too exclusive , because it would be too expensive for our target group. Brands like Balenciaga, Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garçons are definitely our competition, because they already have a leading role in the avantgarde and metropolitan scene.

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SELAM FESSAHAYE GARETH PUGH

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Classic

Updated

Metropolitan 77

Avantgarde

Exclusive

SELAM FESSAHAYE

GARETH PUGH

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Classic

Modern

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Accessible

Due to the change in target group, we decided to put the revived Lacroix in the segment Modern Exclusive, next to brands such as Lirika Matoshi and Comme des Garcons. Previously, Lacroix was placed within the Exclusive Classic category with brands like Gucci and Molly Goddard, but this Classic style is old fashioned for our modern target group.

Swot analysis Strengths

Weaknesses

•

• • •

A history in theatrical fashion which fits consumer’s expressiveness. The brand establishes itself within a leading role for self expression. Celebrating inclusivity. Not being trend sensitive which means we never go out of style.

•

We moved our segment from classic exclusive to the more modern accessible luxury segment. This may decrease our sense of exclusivity. In the past, Lacroix had a leading role within the Parisian fashion scene. With our shift in focus from the Western market to the Asian market, it may be dangerous to lose this role.

Opportunities

Threats

•

The Asian market has emerged into the promised land for luxury growth. The Asian market, and especially China, has a long history in cross dressing on stage and hosts many main capitals of the LGBTQ community. It has a booming creative and cultural economy. The target group has a desire to be part of a community and to break with social isolation. As a solution we can offer them this inclusive, community based space. The target group age shift: Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to focus on self expression than previous generations. The rise of the experiental market.

• •

Increase of competitive brands entering the experiental retail market. Economic fluctuations and the affect on apparel retail business; need of being profitable. The threat of attracting a mainstream audience as well since most people like to be part of a certain community without really embracing its core values.

Value to the market Lacroix has a history in theatrial fashion which fits the consumer’s expressiveness. With its celebration of inclusivitiy, it creates a community feeling where nobody is excluded. Our job is to make the target group feel like they belong somewhere without judgement. Lacroix offers the target group an inclusive and safe haven where they can embrace their creative utopia without exclusion.

MAR KET ING STRA TEGY

Brand launch strategy With the relaunch of the brand we want to expand and successfully enter a fast growing market such as the Asian one, with a particular focus on China, whose economic forces will be essential for the brand to grow. Firstly, we want to start by opening the first flagship stores in Shanghai and Chengdu, and later, if successful, spread to the rest of the Asian and Western markets. As research has shown, not only China has the highest demand for luxury products, but these two cities have awarded themselves the title of LGBTQIA+ capitals of China, with their extremely gender fluid neighbourhoods and extravagant nightlife. Secondly, we want to launch the ‘Lacroix Fantasy’ club,

held as a monthly event in Shanghai, to create a stronger relationship with the target, by providing a platform for self expression. A physical presence is necessary when entering a new market, and it’s not less important than having an established online presence. China is the largest e-commerce market in the world, surpassing the US by $1 trillion in online sales, it now accounts for 92% of the market share and half of the world’s online business. It is extremely difficult for western brands to enter China’s online retailing industry due to the already deeply saturated market and the high demand in participation for foreign

brands.

This is why we decided to partner up with leading e-commerce platforms Tmall Global and JD.com, who, with their vast reach, will ensure online sales directly to Chinese consumers. A physical presence is necessary when entering a new market, and it’s not less important than having an established online presence. China is the largest e-commerce market in the world, surpassing the US by $1 trillion in online sales, it now accounts for 92% of the market share and half of the world’s online business. It is extremely difficult for Western brands to enter China’s online retailing industry due to the already deeply saturated market and the high demand in participation for foreign brands. This is why we decided to partner

up with leading e-commerce platforms Tmall Global and JD.com, who, with their vast reach, will ensure online sales directly to Chinese consumers.

Tmall Global Tmall is the largest online market in China dedicated to domestic and international branded products. Its owned by Alibaba Group and provides a platform and marketing tools for foreign brand stores. However, Tmall is currently working on invite only, qualified overseas businesses can be invited to join by a third party (TP), therefore the need for TP participation makes the process of accessing a store on the platform more challenging.

JD.com Jingdong is China’s largest online direct sales company, it allows brands to set up a personal store and sell directly to Chinese consumers, thanks to their crossborder services (JD Worldwide). JD stands out from other Chinese e-commerce by actively promoting the platform around the world, as well as providing leading in-house logistics services (warehouses and transportation), making it easier for overseas brands to enter the platform. In addition, Jingdong imposes zero tolerance policy on counterfeit products.

Retail The store

brand’s story, with the aim of building brand awareness, and engaging the community. The stores will feature lavish furniture such as velvet sofas and curtains, lush carpets, opulent coffee tables and dimmed lighting. One of the main goals is to make the target experience comfort with a hint of excessiveness and magic. Therefore, shop assistants will be part of the community, styled in Lacroix’ collections head-to-toe to ensure the feel of a fantasy environment.

Our flagship stores will be situated in Shanghai’s fashion district, Xintiandi, and Chengdu’s shopping district Taikoo Li. Big cities in China are renowned for their ‘never sleep’ frame of work, thus the stores will be designed to open during evening hours, from 4 PM to midnight, ensuring we meet our target’s needs, their busy schedule and giving them the chance to get ready for extravaganza night outs. Our stores aren’t meant for a quick stop by, they have to be seen and felt as a magical illusion. Everything about the stores will revolve around the

Retail environment

The club ‘Lacroix Fantasy Club’ will be a monthly event, in Shanghai, held in a secret location different each time. With this we aim to be exclusive and build a hype around the mysterious disappearing club. The club’s aim is to provide a venue where freedom of expression and dazzling attitude are the keywords to enter, we want to create a space where a community of like minded, inclusive people can be part of their own unique fantasy, together. No one should feel left out, therefore the club has one and only rule: Be the fantasy. This is not like all the other clubs, there is only one way to be bounced at the door, and it’s to wear a suit and tie, or a simple blouse. We want to see how far you can take it, how camp can you be and how much extravagance

you can bring, because everyone is the star of their own fantasy, so be it. Our community can feel free to be their flamboyant selves and dress up Burlesque, because the club’s motto is ‘Too much is never enough’. To keep the online engagement high, influencers will be invited to the club with a special QR code, which they can use to create their own customised Lacroix drink, in exchange for a post on their social media accounts with the hashtag #bethefantasy, thus generating more visibility and getting the conversation going.

The club

Communication channels Online Until now, the brand’s social media presence has been lacking engagement with the target group, solely focusing on showcasing the products with uninspiring still life images, without exploiting the big potential of these channels. So it’s very important for the relaunch to establish a personal connection with the target group, and build brand awareness through different social media channels, such as Weibo, Douyin, Instagram and TikTok. Since we’re entering the Asian market, we will partner with ChinaKOL, in order to access their specific social media platforms, and their influencer network. In particular we will be present on Weibo (Chinese instagram) and Douyin (Chinese tiktok). Nonetheless, we want our online presence to reach a global community, which is essential for the growth of the brand, especially on Instagram and TikTok. So we will freshen up Lacroix’ Instagram feed to fit the new identity, and establish partnerships with influencers who reflect our flamboyant target group’s values.

The website

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The hyper-personalized Lacroix virtual mobile experience allows you to escape reality to explore yourself with Lacroix’ RTW collection. The App lets you create your virtual avatar, which you can personalize with branded makeup, clothing and sunglasses. The virtual products can be purchased with one simple click and be worn in the real world. As an addition, Lacroix will offer virtual-only garments, too extravagant for the real world, perfect for the virtual one, where no limits are set. Focusing on an app experience makes sure the virtual experience is smooth enough, as a website might crash. Most notably, the camera function to take pictures of their avatar in real locations, use filters, and instantly share online. It’s also a creative hub, a space to connect with others like-minded, enter virtual events (makeup masterclasses, musical concerts, collection previews, organized by Lacroix; some so exclusive they’re only accessible with a password gained through increased networking within the virtual community. It’s status based on networking, not wealth. Every once in a while, Lacroix will release NFTs in the App as luxury fashion pieces to create brand hype and long-term investments for the consumer.

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Purpose of the website The Lacroix Website will have no buying function, as our target audience (especially in the Asian market) shops through social media. Instead, it will be an inspiring and informative webpage giving more insights into the theme of the collection, mini behind the scenes episodes, artistic imagery etc.

App design

Virtual avatar

Look and feel: virtual only garments

Weibo

history, product introduction, and backstory. Our tone of voice will be inclusive but over the top extravagant, through our content we will inspire our target to be nothing less than their hyper creative selves. How do we create revenue from Weibo? Once we’ve accumulated 400/500 followers we will start to build trust with them through online and offline activities, in order to identify potential customers, such as product testing, night club event and exhibitions. These will help the brand create a solid foundation before the actual market entrance. Furthermore, by sharing their experience with other Weibo users, the brand will receive in return more followers and potential customers.

To connect with our Chinese consumers on Weibo, we will partner up with ChinaKOL (leading marketing agency) who will set up and manage the new Lacroix account, for which we will create Asia specific curated content. The purpose of establishing a Weibo account, involves improving brand awareness, developing and maintaining consumer loyalty and creating brand associations. Weibo, born as a hybrid of twitter and Facebook, is a micro blogging platform, with around 430 million active users a month. It is also known as “China’s Instagram” with similar tools, such as live stories, photo sharing and so on. Along with these common aspects, Weibo has recently added an online shopping feature, which would connect our customers directly to our Tmall/JD online stores. To enter the market and build awareness we will focus on the brand’s

Lacroix’ Douyin/Tiktok influencers

Douyin/tiktok

If we want to target a younger segment, such as Gen Z and Millennials, we firstly need to understand where these users spend most of their time online. In this case we’re going to talk about Douyin and TikTok (the international version of Douyin app) mainly because the majority of these social network users are under the age of 29, who are considered the new Chinese ‘spending force’. Douyin is the same app as TikTok, one is the Chinese version and the latter is the international version. This platform has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years, especially with the younger target groups, due to the fresh focus on short videos instead of photos. It’s important to note that these are tech savvy generations and while they get influenced by digital media, they’re also very quick to make up their minds on your brand. So we decided to partner up with influencers to create user-generated content (UGC) while also engaging their fans to get brand exposure. There are 3 different types of ads on Douyin/TikTok, mainly the in-feed native videos, brand takeover and hashtag challenges, all of which can lead to a call to action (CTA) of the brand, redirecting the consumer on a website or challenge.

@Coyletwins

Our main use for Douyin/TikTok is to create and engage the community and get them interested in our products in an unconventional fun way, both through influencer marketing and user generated content. We will do his by creating hashtag challenges such as #bethefantasy and #nightextravaganza, where influencers will challenge the users to show their own take on dressing up, with entertaining transitions or dances.

@Reiiyu

@Nikitadragun

Instagram

Apart from being a social shopping platform, our goal for Instagram is to get the brand’s story out there, to be informative on our products, history and what we stand for as a brand; to be educational and open on topics dear to our target; and to inspire our community. We will do this by being active on our Instagram stories, by inviting special guests to talk, giving space for the community to interact with us and the exponents. We will feature sponsored ads and partner up with different influencers who will be the spokespeople for the brand.

Our aim for the relaunch is, of course, to enter a new market, but also to establish ourselves internationally, therefore not only we’re going to have an online presence on Chinese social platforms, but also on a Western platform such as Instagram to raise brand awareness. Since to start with, we will open stores in China only, Instagram will be the main platform where international users can can view and buy our products from all over the world, in just a couple of clicks they will be redirected to the IG shop, or to our website.

Another important feature will be the launch of our new AR filters which will allow our users to engage with the brand and experience the fantasy world of Lacroix directly from their homes. The filters are a fun way to create a response from the community and spread brand culture all over the globe. The filters will feature the main icons of the brand such as the butterflies and eclectic colours, they’ll also function as make-up filters linking back to our new licensed cosmetic line. Users can then apply the AR filters while taking selfies or short videos on their Instagram stories, using the #LacroixFantasy, the most theatrical and flamboyant selfies will have the chance to get featured on Lacroix’ story.

Lacroix’ Instagram influencers

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@Keiynanlon

@Divinityray

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Licensing Christian Lacroix had a big history in licensing which helped the brand gain revenue throughout the years, however the brand lost control over its licensed products resulting in the brand image being completely diluted, losing its identity and credibility. So, as part of the new brand launch strategy we decided to enter a cross-industry market, such as cosmetics, through licensing. To avoid past mistakes we decided to keep the licensed products very close to the fashion identity of the brand, if not a logic, direct expansion of the collection. According to Bain&Co. beauty products represent 20% of the value of personal luxury goods market. Fragrances and make-up are the categories more influenced by fashion trends and with high presence of fashion and luxury brands, therefore we decided to launch Lacroix’ first make-up line in partnership with licensing company Coty. Coty is an American beauty products manufacturer, founded in Paris in 1904, with in total 33 brands, making the company a leader in the industry. It’s especially known for its collaborations

with fashion designers and celebrities for the creation of fragrances and make-up lines. We especially chose Coty because of their popularity on Tmall, making it a logical solution for our brand. The Lacroix make-up line will be the direct translation of the new brand identity: colourful, opulent, vamp and excessive. It will be the accompanying product to top off our customers’ flamboyant looks, a lavish extra for the ultimate Lacroix Fantasy experience. Furthermore, the make-up line will also be available digitally on our app, giving users the possibility to customise their avatars with a unique make-up selection. In addition, to launch the make-up line, we will collaborate with a few of the most extra make up artists, who will post videos/ photos using our products, spreading the word and generating reactions from the consumers.

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Lacroix make up influencers

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@cheriserenee

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