💎Brilliant Cut No. 4:
Hermès Petit h Atelier, Being A Net-a-Porter EIP Customer, Burberry Campaign Looks To Future, Global Luxury Sales Record Decline, Moutai Liquor Craze In China, Farm-To-Closet Reality, and More
Welcome to this edition of Brilliant Cut, a free monthly newsletter that delivers the most essential stories on luxury marketing strategies right to your inbox.
Issue #4 | December 7, 2020
Chanel says The RealReal has failed to show that it actually maintains a monopoly in high-end handbag market
(The Fashion Law) Chanel says that The RealReal’s attempt to lodge antitrust claims against it is a “transparent tactic … to divert attention” away from the counterfeiting claims at play. Read more
Sotheby’s and Christie’s look to luxury as a coronavirus antidote
(New York Times) Twenty years ago, Sotheby’s and Christie’s made money by auctioning art. And that was about it. Now, in a process fast-forwarded by the coronavirus pandemic, technology is transforming these venerable names into very different-looking businesses. Luxury is making that difference. Read more
Are ateliers like the petit h at Hermès the future of luxury fashion?
(Vogue India) Animism is the belief that all objects have a spiritual essence. At the petit h atelier at Hermès, there’s a lot of thought going into giving each object a purpose. Read more
Farfetch gains on luxury 'paradigm shift' to ecommerce
(MediaPost) Fueled by an important new deal in China and a major shift in the way the world tries on fashion, Farfetch set another sales record for the quarter. And it says that with the ongoing gains, it is "witnessing a paradigm shift in favor of online luxury." Read more
Deliver ooh! The elite world of personal shopping
(Financial Times) Net-a-Porter’s client service caters to the creme of its customers. But what are the advantages? HTSI becomes an EIP (Extremely Important Person). Read more
Balenciaga really made a video game to debut its next fashion collection
(Input) The relationship between fashion and video games has grown throughout 2020, and it's about to get even stronger. Instead of a runway show, Balenciaga will debut its FW21 collection through a video game created just for the occasion. Read more
Clicks fast overtaking bricks in fashion, luxury arena, says McKinsey
(WWD via Yahoo) The online juggernaut will gain steam in 2021, and beyond, with accelerating sales, a “war” for digital talent, and pressure on fashion and luxury brands to rethink the role of their physical stores, according to new research from McKinsey & Co. Read more
The new Burberry campaign champions the voices of tomorrow
(10 Magazine) After Marcus Rashford MBE‘s emotional open letter to his 10-year old self, that accompanied the announcement of his partnership with Burberry to support the voices of tomorrow and youth charities, we couldn’t wait for more from this team-up. Read more
Watches of Switzerland marks 2020 holiday campaign with new partnership
(WatchPro) The premier luxury watch retailer has brought in the the 35-year old artist, whose style of expression is presented in the medium of hand-blown glass filled with neon gas, to be the creative drive behind an integrated holiday visual merchandising and marketing campaign. Read more
With Love from Domenico and Stefano: Dolce & Gabbana holiday 2020 collection
(Design Scene) Fashion house Dolce & Gabbana presented their Holiday 2020 With Love from Domenico and Stefano collection that celebrates love and the art of handmade craftsmanship. Read more
ArtTactic finds ‘V-shaped’ recovery in market confidence
(Barron's) The future of the contemporary art market looked bleak in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic as live auctions, art fairs, and gallery shows were canceled and the relationship-driven business suddenly moved online. Read more
Deloitte report addresses new trends, growth of luxury goods companies
(WWD) Tradition and responsiveness are two aspects that have always characterized luxury companies and they will be further required to overcome the challenges in the post-COVID-19 landscape, according to the 2020 edition of “Global Powers of Luxury Goods” study compiled by Deloitte. Read more
Global luxury goods sales set for largest ever fall in Bain forecast
(Reuters) Sales of luxury goods worldwide are set to fall by 23% to 217 billion euros ($258 billion) this year, their largest ever drop and first since 2009, due to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, consultancy Bain. Read more
Global luxury sales are on track for a record decline in 2020. But business is booming in China.
(CNBC) The stage is set for China to become the world’s biggest luxury market by 2025, according to a new report. Read more
Luxury fans in China chase neat shot of investment with vintage Moutai liquor
(Reuters) As luxury spending rebounds in China, consumers with money to burn have a new habit beyond fancy bags and watches: a taste for collector editions of fiery domestic liquor Moutai, not to drink but to hold onto as a rapidly appreciating investment. Read more
Jing Daily’s weekly roundup of the latest luxury social media campaigns in China
📲 November 13, 2020 // November 20, 2020 // November 27, 2020 // December 4, 2020
How carmakers are using fashion to drive a new brand image
(WWD via Yahoo) Automakers have gone from wanting fashion cred to needing more street cred. Read more
Good collaborations are art, great ones are kitch
(Highsnobiety) Heron Preston’s collaboration with oral care brand MOON sounds like something out of MSCHF factory. Read more
Vacheron Constantin and The Louvre team up to put a ‘masterpiece on your wrist’
(Barron's Penta) Lot 6 in this month’s Christie’s online auction, Bid for the Louvre, is dubbed “A Masterpiece on Your Wrist,” presenting the opportunity to select a work of art from The Louvre’s world-famous collections and have it reproduced on the dial of a one-of-a-kind watch by the master enamellers in Vacheron Constantin’s Geneva workshops. Read more
Fashion forward: luxury brands try to weave inclusivity into their fabric
(Financial Times) Prada appointed its first chief diversity officer last month, as big-name luxury businesses continue to respond to tight scrutiny of their progress on diversity. Read more
Can farm-to-closet work for fashion?
(Vogue Business) New York menswear designer Todd Snyder’s Spring 2021 collection includes denim made in a manner that might be called farm-to-closet. Read more
Can a luxury watch be sustainable?
(High Horology Journal) Like any other industry, watchmaking is under scrutiny for its environmental impact and this is influencing purchasing decisions. Read more
Produced and hosted by Scott Kerr, The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury. Check out the last three episodes and gain new insights on the luxury industry:
🍸 Nicola Nice, founder & CEO of craft gin cordial Pomp & Whimsy talks about how she launched a premium spirits brand targeted to women Apple / Spotify
📣 Hear about the state of luxury PR from Cleo Anderson, founder and CEO of award-winning luxury lifestyle PR agency The Anderson Media Group Apple / Spotify
🛥️ Learn what the ultra-wealthy are dreaming up for their superyachts from Patrick Knowles, one of the world’s leading luxury yacht designers Apple / Spotify
🍬🍬🍬🍬 Luxury Sweet Spots
In his latest piece, author and insights expert Stephen Kraus identifies four ‘sweet spots’ that luxury brands should be focusing on to accelerate growth in a (hopefully) post-COVID world.
👉 Read it here
💎💎💎3-Carat: Opinion pieces & interviews with luxe leaders
♦ Which luxury industry has the most innovative luxury brand marketing? The Drum
♦ Giorgio Armani speaks up about helping out via WWD
♦ Why do luxury watchmakers steal designs from one another? Hong Kong Tatler
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Comments or questions? E-mail Scott Kerr scott@silvertoneconsulting.com
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