10 minute read
I´m not New Here, You Know
"I'm not ne you kno ." here,
Alexander Gedat has a simple recipe for continuing the successful Marc O'Polo run: Keep it up!
Text: Stephan Huber. Photos: Marc O’Polo Since October of last year Alexander Gedat has been the new CEO at Marc O’Polo AG, Stephanskirchen. After 44 years at the peak of his life's work, Werner Böck the majority shareholder and, without a doubt, an outstanding entrepreneur has retired into a "non-retirement role" at the pinnacle of the supervisory board. In the knowledge that this step had been prepared in an exemplary manner over the years. So, the change doesn't mean any break in the pattern, just a continuation of the path. Or as Alexander Gedat, who is still continuing sales and marketing as CSO, succinctly puts in his dry manner: "I'm not new here, you know." True. He entered the company in 1995, in 2003 he became part of a dream team with Andreas Baumgärtner - Chairman of the Board for Design, Marketing, Licensing and Production - that had been tied to the company by the unerring instincts of Werner Böck and that was perfectly complemented in 2008 with the addition of Jürgen Hahn as CFO.
Get stuck in!
Teamwork with Baumgärtner is very important to Gedat. Neither of them stick stubbornly to their own areas of responsibility. Both of them are equally characterised by a constant yearning to do everything possible for the company and brand. "Get stuck in!" is one of the most seemingly simple principles of Böck's that shapes and shaped the corporate culture in Stephanskirchen. A corporate culture that can also excel in figures. Between 2006 and 2010, Marc O'Polo has grown by 100 per cent. This was no bought growth, it was earned. "Growth is important but not crucial", says Gedat making this clear and continues: "It is our privilege, we don't have to do it." But Gedat wants to do it! He is as much characterised by his healthy ambition as for his ability never to take himself too seriously. It keeps you grounded.
The strong strengthen
He formulates the three central goals for the future and the fact he mentions the first stage is developing into a holistic company, is no mere accident. A nursery school is in the pipeline, the staff canteen is to be converted to organic meals, sensible car sharing models have been introduced and encouraged. Gedat: "These investments all target values that are important to us, but also bring great benefits in competing. We want and need to be an attractive employer. And we want to be a modern company. Sustainability isn't just a popular phrase as far as we're concerned. These investments also significantly contribute towards promoting internationalisation. The second point on Gedat's To Do list. "We focus on qualitative growth in our core markets. We have taken on and learned a lot in the past few years and this has been key in helping us now to open up new markets." Marc O'Polo has been given great impetus through continuous modernisation of the products in combination with intensive communication of desirability and positioning. Retail productivity has also been perfected at the same time, by own retail outlets as a permanent group. Gedat explains the path in three words. "The strong strengthen." Based on this, Marc O'Polo not only wants to make headway into the European markets such as France, the Benelux countries, Poland and Russia but also wants to gain a foothold in China. "However", he says wishing to stress the point, "always with the brand in mind - sustainably and cautiously. Economic independence is the third goal. "No banks, no investors!" That has always been one of Werner Böck's major concerns. And that was a wise thing.
Giving freedom
And another thing that Alexander Gedat and Andreas Baumgärtner want to keep: Granting freedom! Particularly Campus, the young premium fashion brand, which is to now finally break away from behind its mother's skirts, something not only due to being physically separated at last. "We have invested a great deal. In the product, in staff structures. Now, we need to let the team around Marianne Glaser get on with it. And how have boundaries been set? Alexander Gedat grins: "It's quite simple. I'm not allowed to dress in anything from Campus."
30 years young – the Italian WP Lavori in Corso group marks its anniversary with a book that takes a look at its past. The 30 springtimes provide more than enough good reasons for the owner, Cristina Calori, to take bold steps into the future. A style in progress interview with Creative Director Andrea Cané and owner Cristina Calori.
Interview: Martina Müllner. Photos: WP Lavori in Corso
Your personal birthday present was Baracuta: So how did the first season work out for WP Lavori? Are you satisfied with the results?
Andrea Cané: The first season of Baracuta worked very well in terms of the repositioning strategy, which was ultimately the main goal of the starting season. WP Lovori is working on relaunching the brand worldwide with an approach that is inherently part of the WP Lavori DNA: Starting from its venerable history, with the maximum of respect towards the heritage of the brand, and from the iconic G9 as something that transcends cultural and social aspects, but projects the brand into the future. In keeping with this direction, is the collaboration for the Baracuta Blue Label with former Beams Plus Creative Director Kenichi Kusano and cooperation with several top international retailers, as a special make up for Bergdorf Goodman and Beams Tokyo. The first spring/summer 2013 advertising campaign will see a partnership with the London-based cultural and lifestyle magazine, Jocks and Nerds, who will be collaborating on the creation of the new brand image. The campaign, “Synonimus and Antonymus” will represent the iconicity and cultural /social transcendence of the G9 brand through a series of “portraits of contrasts” - images of "duets" will represent the history and diversity of the Baracuta G9 jacket through age, lifestyle, class and ethnicity. Each image will portray two people from different backgrounds to show the commonality of the G9 jacket across this broad spectrum.
In tough times like this, WP is still growing. How do you manage to be successful when others fail?
Cristina Calori: We are increasing market shares and sales in the European markets, also opening franchise and direct shops both in Italy and Europe. Germany is still the first market after Italy but also Scandinavia and Benelux are going very well. For autumn/winter 2013, another market that will be seeing big increase in penetration will be Russia and Eastern Europe. In Germany from 2009 to 2012 we had a turnover increase of 102%, maintaining the same number of doors but increasing the average order and starting a retail strategy. The Woolrich men’s collection is performing very well, both in terms of outerwear and sportswear. The big novelty for autumn/winter 2013 is the launch of a new Woolrich women’s collection. A new design team has been working on a more feminine and sophisticated collection, strongly linked to the brand heritage, especially regarding original mill and original historical wool and archive pieces but with a contemporary and stylish approach. The new Woolrich “gentlewoman” will mix romantic gentleness and masculine looks with an easy, clean and natural approach and a sophisticated elegance. The fullness will be feminine, and the fabrics fluid and soft. A particular focus on the Woolrich archive fabrics and drawings: The hunting package program takes inspiration from original archive items and brings them into a new feminine and contemporary dimension and a new range of traditional check wool coats is presented in a wide range of patterns. A limited edition of wool ballerinas comes from a special collaboration with Porselli: founded in Milan in 1919, Porselli is the historical supplier of “ballerinas“ for Milan Teatro alla Scala. All the shoes are still handcrafted and produced in Milan. The Porselli for Woolrich ballerinas are made from the original Woolrich wool patterns and will have a special packaging.
In our last interview you mentioned that own retail should grow to 30 % of WP Lavori's turnover. Is this growth only foreseen in Italy or will there be own retail in other European countries? How many shops are planned for 2013?
Cristina Calori: The retail development is definitely part of our strategy for the future – in 2012,
WP Lavori sets great store by Germany, the second most important market after the domestic market. Photo shows the Komet und Helden’s Munich showroom.
Cristina Calori, President of the WP Lavori in Corso group, began 30 years ago in a bold group - and is today a bold entrepreneur.
Creative Director Andrea Cané has been at Cristina Calori's side from the beginning. Over the 30 years he has matured from product specialist to company strategist.
we opened five Woolrich stores in Europe (Munich – London – Lille – Masstricht – Goteborg) and one WP Store in Italy, in Genoa. The WP retail network today includes twelve WP Stores, nine Woolrich stores and one Barbour store. In a particular way, the figures of the Munich Woolrich store opened in October have been very, very positive right since the beginning. In Germany, we already have 15 new shop-in-shops planned for spring/winter 2013. For 2013, we are increasingly targeting the WP Store development, starting in Italy but with future developments abroad.
Last season, you decided not to show at the Bread & Butter in Berlin – will this decision be continued?
Andrea Cané: We will be presenting at the Bread & Butter in January with a WP space in order to celebrate the 30th anniversary and present to the retailers and press the book entitled“ 30 Years Of Research In Style - WP Lavori in Corso”, created and edited by the Canadian team of Inventory, one of the most interesting editorial realities to have recently appeared on the international scene and published by Rizzoli International. The 30th anniversary book is a combination of looking back to day one, revisiting the mission and goals of WP, as well as looking more closely at the past ten years and at what WPLavori has accomplished in the last decade. The aim of the book is to illustrate the last 10 years of WP’s history, following the previous book editions for the first10 and 20 years, and primarily gives a picture of what WP is today, an international group of heritage brands. From the designers WP Lavori has worked with, the brands it has bought and introduced to new markets, the WP stores and their innovative research and the people behind WP Lavori who make it work every day: The book showcases the Italian company, its attitude, aesthetics and tastes, along with the people that WP Lavori has been working with for the last 10 years within the industry.
WP Lavoris success is made by the people who work for you and the brands. How do you find new talent and how do you make them stay at WP Lavori?
Andrea Cané: The concept of WP Lavori itself attracts people who are curious about historical and innovative brands. I think that the talented are attracted by our philosophy and they then become so passionate about it, this is the key factor to making the company successful. In terms of designer research, we constantly check the market and what the designers are developing. Then I contact those who are most suitable for our portfolio. It’s also very important to have a network of friends in the industry who make suggestions as to which talent to watch.
What are your plans in the www? Do you plan to have an own online store for the brands or for WP Lavori?
Cristina Calori: We have a WP store online but 2013 will be the starting point of a new web project that will include a new European and international ecommerce platform for Woolrich John Rich & Bros, Baracuta and WP Lavori. From 2013, we will be dedicating a lot of energy and investment into developing this area.
Thank you for the interview.
WP Lavori in Corso was founded in 1982, the President Cristina Calori generated 115 million euros with a staff of 100. WP Lavori holds worldwide licence and distribution rights for the labels Woolrich John Rich & Bros., Woolrich Woolen Mills, B.D. Baggies and Baracuta. Woolrich Penn-Rich is under licence and distribution for Italy, WP Lavori are European distributors for Blundstone and Save Khaki, Italian distributors for Barbour. In its eleven multi-brand WP stores in Italy, WP also carries other brands that meet the group's philosophy. The group also runs a further nine Woolrich stores and one Barbour store. Brands with history given a new twist are successful in the retail trade of today and are the DNA of the group. www.wplavori.com
