Miss Wonder

Positive blues: the Denim Blue line is the brand’s core element.

Liu Jo. MISS WONDER

The Italian brand made the first step by establishing a branch in Germany. However, the local demands forced Liu Jo to question its own approach. What’s the outcome? The label has defined a clear focus. Text: Martina Müllner. Photos: Liu Jo

Jeans made for women - contemporary fashion ranging from sporty to party fit. It seems as if one couldn’t go wrong with the product range of Liu Jo. In Italy, the brand from Carpi near Modena is one of the biggest names in the industry. In 2014, Liu Jo SpA generated a turnover of 302 million Euros, of which 40% was generated with exports. The brand hired Jörg Korfhage, a man with an immense wealth of experience, as their country manager for Germany. Due to his experience, Jörg Korfhage is fully aware that Liu Jo is unlike any task he has faced before. Seven different lines, 1,800 to 2,000 collection pieces, numerous delivery dates, a complete look ranging from bags to jeans - the brand’s product range is truly extravagant. While this may be Liu Jo’s strength in Italy, it is a real challenge in terms of export. “We spent a lot of time asking ourselves what the strengths of the brand are. The result of the long deliberation process is that the brand’s positioning in Germany needs to focus on the jeans segment.”

Bottom Up Does this come as a surprise? Not at all, to be honest. Everything that has made Liu Jo successful revolves around the jeans topic: the Italianitá in terms of styling, the feminine cuts, and the sexiness despite withdrawn looks. One is tempted to say that only Italians can come up with such a stringent concept. At the same time, one is inclined to ask what the Italians can’t do. “Precisely”, laughs Jörg Korfhage, who has been hired as country manager to guide Liu Jo’s German self-discovery process. The good thing is that Liu Jo’s management has now understood that the German clock ticks a little differently. “Now we have to focus on implementing changes accordingly”, Jörg Korfhage adds. Said and done. At the Premium trade show in Berlin, Liu Jo presented itself leaner and meaner. “Everything revolves around the Blue Denim line. This new positioning was not conjured up out of thin air, but is a hard-hitting reality in terms of sales. The Liu Jo jeans make our German customers happy and are our most important revenue pillar.” The high fashion content remains and renders an invitation to two customer groups: the luxury customer who seeks a price base and the female customer who has escaped the mass market and is now seeking diversification in terms of fashion. This new clarity now needs to be communicated with adequate marketing power. Marco Marchi, the CEO of Liu Jo, explains his strategy in an interview with style in progress.

What are your plans for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland? Liu Jo recently approved a new business plan for the DACH markets, with a specific approach in terms of marketing actions and investments, focusing increasingly on these markets as drivers of future company

Liu Jo was initially founded as a company specialising in producing knitwear for other brands. The Marchi brothers own the business to this day. The company, which has 630 employees, generated a turnover of 302 million Euros in fiscal 2014. Liu Jo currently serves 450 points of sale and 5,000 multi-brand customers in 50 countries on three continents. In the DACH region, Liu Jo focuses its trade show presentations on two collections: Blue Denim and White Label. The latter is a more athletic range of clothing. The two collections can be viewed at the Premium trade show. www.liujo.com growth outside Italy. In these DACH markets, Liu Jo is already sold in the main premium boutiques and department stores, but our goal is to develop a specific approach to these markets in terms of product development, pricing, and supply chain in order to meet the specific needs of customers and consumers. What are Liu Jo’s core strengths and core products? Liu Jo core products in these markets are jeans and bags, which is why Liu Jo decided to focus even more on these categories with the launch of the new Blue Denim Collection for the A/W 16/17 season. It is a collection that revolves exclusively around the denim topic: pants, shirts, skirts, jackets, and jumpsuits. The key product of this collection will be the new Bottom Up Amazing Fit, an item that combines all of Liu Jo’s expert design with the revolutionary Isko Blue Skin technology, for a fit that hugs the silhouette in sleek, sexy shapes to produce an unprecedented mind-blowing effect. It’s a veritable second skin made of a fabric that doesn’t lose its shape. Do you prefer Liu Jo to be a wholesale business or are you planning to open own stores? Liu Jo is already listed in premium boutiques and department stores and during 2016 we will implement actions to increase the brand presence in multibrand stores and to strengthen our collaboration with the main department stores, including Liu Jo corner openings. In addition, we are evaluating a new premium location for a flagship store in Germany. What is the key to success in Italy, your home market? I think our strength is the constant supervision of the company DNA. The consistency of the brand and the focus of the mission define our identity precisely. Another - probably equally important aspect - might be the quality of action and the

In his capacity as international CEO of Liu Jo, Marco Marchi is responsible for the company’s destiny.

dynamic way we respond to market demands. The creative philosophy of Liu Jo is devoted to the enhancement of natural femininity and the beauty of every woman. It’s expressed through a style that is refined, glamorous and is always open to individual interpretations. The Liu Jo lifestyle offers to the world a universe of elegantly feminine style, which is quintessentially Italian. How do you react to the special needs of the Ger man-speaking markets? Liu Jo is fully aware of the importance of satisfying the needs of German and European customers in terms of service, delivery dates, margin, retail-prices, and products. Therefore Liu Jo is investing heavily in improving the complete supply-chain, which we believe will be one of the key drivers of the brand’s future growth.