💎Brilliant Cut No. 9:
Cartier’s ‘Luxury of the Invisible’, Porsche All-In on Tech, Luxury Blockchain Alliance, Chaos x Rimowa, Farfetch Virtual Try-On, Breitling Goes Gaming, WeChat Luxury Index, and More
Welcome to this edition of Brilliant Cut, a free monthly newsletter that helps you smartly navigate the most important luxury marketing stories and insights.
Issue #9 | May 3, 2021
BMW's new electric iX car will feature "a completely new symphony" composed by Hans Zimmer
(Dezeen) Drivers of BMW's upcoming iX electric sports activity vehicle will experience an interactive soundscape by movie composer Hans Zimmer instead of traditional engine sounds. Read more
Burnishing Cartier’s ‘Luxury of the Invisible’
(New York Times) If you’ve got it, flaunt it seems to be Cartier’s mantra lately. The house, which has one of watchmaking’s most enviable archives, has been revisiting the most stylish of its horological greats — like the Panthère in 2017 and the Pasha in 2020, two watches first created in the 1980s. Read more
Gucci’s first high watchmaking collection is an ode to innovation and design
(Departures) This year marks a pivotal moment in Gucci’s history—the luxury Italian house celebrates the 100th anniversary since founder, Guccio Gucci, opened his first store in Florence. And while Gucci may have started as a leather goods company, it is about to expand its presence in the luxury world by adding high-end watchmaking to its impressive portfolio. Read more
Tiffany & Co. to shake up advertising strategy under LVMH
(WWD) Tiffany & Co. is seeing major changes to its marketing mechanics. The first tides of the jeweler’s overhaul by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton are being felt in the company’s public positioning and advertising. Read more
Time to AirTag: Apple and Hermès go luggage tracking
(Financial Times) The tech and luxury giants’ bag tag collaboration is the sleekest addition to the lost-and-found cybersphere. Read more
Move over, turbos. Porsche CEO says tech takes priority in new strategy
(Bloomberg | Quint) Steve Jobs trained consumers too well, says Kjell Gruner, the new president and chief executive officer of Porsche Cars North America Inc. And now car companies have a lot of catching up to do to match Apple Inc.’s standards for user interface. Read more
Bottega Veneta launches digital magazine following its disappearance from social media
(Designboom) Back in January, Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta vanished from all social media platforms. some months later we finally have an answer to this courageous move — the brand has launched a digital magazine that explores new ways of engaging with its collaborators and audience. Read more
Prada, LVMH + Cartier join forces on Aura Blockchain Alliance to combat fakes
(Designboom) Prada, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Cartier have joined forces on ‘Aura’, the first global blockchain alliance that will make it possible to track product history and proof of authenticity of luxury goods. Read more
Farfetch pushes personalization with virtual try-on experience
(WWD) Farfetch is getting personal. The company will reveal Tuesday that it plans to extend its pilot with the start-up tech firm Zeekit to create an immersive try-on experience for products. Farfetch said it is the first, global luxury e-commerce platform to use this technology. Read more
Digital fashion companies aim to disrupt and digitize high fashion
(Business Insider) Before NFTs were netting $69 million at Christie's, The Fabricant was auctioning off a unique NFT at the 2019 Ethereum conference. Read more
How luxury took over memes
(Jing Daily) The coronavirus pandemic accelerated digitalization and boosted e-commerce, and now clothes are made to be seen on screen. Fashion’s relationship with social media has never been more significant. Read more
Breitling gets its game on
(New York Times) In January, it became the first watch brand on the mobile fashion gaming app Drest, where users do virtual styling sessions for their avatars with fashion and accessories from more than 200 brands, including Gucci, Prada, Adidas and Bogner. Read more
Brad Pitt and Brioni team up for a new collection based on the actor’s laid-back style
(Robb Report) Hollywood’s favorite leading man has joined forces with the Italian menswear label to release an exclusive collection modeled after his rugged-yet-refined style. Read more
Ferrari is planning fashion show to unveil luxury fashion collections in June
(WWD) Ferrari is ready to unveil its new and first luxury men’s, women’s and children’s collections in June. Read more
Olivia Wilde and Regé-Jean Page join Audi to unveil the Q4 e-tron
(Hypebeast) Following the debut of its e-tron GT and e-tron GT RS back in February, German automaker Audi has now scheduled the debut of its equally fully-electric Q4 e-tron SUV on April 14 through a livestream virtual presentation, which will be joined by American actress Olivia Wilde and British actor Regé-Jean Page. Read more
New study by Luxe Digital finds Gucci remains #1 most popular luxury brand online in 2021
(Luxe Digital) Gucci remains the number one most popular luxury brand online with 15.2% of the total search interest for luxury goods, according to a new study by Luxe Digital. Read more
Using spatial distance strategically with luxury and popular product displays
(Phys.org) Researchers from Nanjing University, National Sun Yat-sen University, and Northwestern University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that shows that the spatial distance between products and consumers can affect perceived value and willingness to pay. Read more
Gucci remains world's hottest brand for Q1 2021
(Hypebeast) According to the Lyst Index Q1 2021, Gucci is still the world’s hottest brand. For Q4 2020, the Alessandro Michele-helmed label took the top spot for the second consecutive year, pushing the likes of Nike, Off-White™, and Balenciaga down in the rankings. Read more
Bulgari CEO on buying jewelry online, LVMH’s Tiffany deal, and Chinese consumers
(South China Morning Post) At the height of the coronavirus pandemic last year, while much of the world’s population was stuck at home clad in cozy loungewear or trying out skincare routines in their bathrooms, the world’s rich were buying fine jewelry. Read more
Luxury spending booms in mainland China reports The NPD Group
(NPD Group) Chinese luxury consumer spending in the direct retail* channel totaled $12.29 billion worldwide and $9.83 billion in mainland China in 2020, according to The NPD Group's Chinese Luxury Direct Retail Tracking report. Read more
How hard luxury embraced a Chinese digital future
(Vogue Business) In China, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Ultra Thin Moon watches sell from RMB 77,000 to 205,000 ($11,809 to $31,440). During 2020’s Singles Day (11 November), one customer on Tmall Luxury Pavilion bought two of them, spending RMB 330,000 ($50,600) in a single online transaction. Read more
A year into pandemic, China demand drives global luxury
(WWD) First to get hit with the COVID-19 virus more than a year ago, China has also emerged quickest out of the pandemic-induced lockdown. Thanks to a combination of high mask-wearing compliance, aggressive tracking of its population with QR codes, and weeks-long quarantine policies, it has become one of the few countries that can say it is firmly on a path to recovery. Read more
WeChat Luxury Index 2021: From Social to Commerce
(Luxury Society) As the WeChat communities of luxury brands continue to grow, the way in which they are interacting with brands on the platform is evolving. The all-new report released by DLG (Digital Luxury Group) and JINGdigital takes a closer look at key performance indicators on WeChat, and how brands fared on the platform last year. Read more
Emerging Chinese fashion influencers to know in 2021
(WWD via Yahoo) Chinese fashion influencers have become the gatekeepers to the world’s largest luxury market. Top names like Gogoboi, Mr.Bags, Fil Xiaobai, and Anny Fan have been dominating the game for years. Now, as brands continue to build new connections with young consumers, a new wave of fashion influencers is gaining momentum. Read more
Jing Daily’s weekly roundup of the latest luxury social media campaigns in China
📲 April 2, 2021 // April 9, 2021 // April 16, 2021 // April 23, 2021 // April 30, 2021
Lady Gaga & Dom Pérignon to launch limited edition bottles
(Billboard) Pour it up for Lady Gaga, who is teaming up with Champagne brand Dom Pérignon for a creative new collaboration. Read more
Chaos collaborates with Rimowa on travel capsule
(WWD via Yahoo) The new collection includes cabin-sized luggage with paint drip motifs, funky luggage tags and a harness — designed to hold heavy luggage together and make the travel experience smoother. Read more
One-off Rolls-Royce Phantom Oribe is a gorgeous collab with Hermès
(CNET Roadshow) Rolls-Royce somehow seems to one-up itself with every special edition and bespoke creation, and the latest one is no exception. This is the Phantom Oribe, a one-off that was designed and developed as a collaboration between Rolls-Royce and the legendary Paris-based fashion house Hermès. Read more
The RealReal partners with eight luxury brands on collaborative upcycled collection
(Yahoo Finance) The RealReal kicked off Earth Month by launching the first collection from its new upcycling program, ReCollection. The collection brings together a diverse group of luxury brands to collectively promote the importance of creating an afterlife for clothing. Read more
LVMH launches luxury deadstock resale site
(Fortune) Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH is launching an online market platform to sell off its deadstock high-end fabrics instead of letting them pile up in warehouses, or worse, having them destroyed. Read more
Conscious luxury business skyrockets on Farfetch
(WWD via Yahoo) It’s platform for the planet at Farfetch. The e-commerce company, which connects brands and boutiques with online shoppers in a central hub, on Thursday released its first Conscious Luxury Trends Report. Read more
Why Patagonia, Gucci, and Timberland are making a big bet on farming
(Fast Company) You’ve heard about farm-to-table dining. Are you ready for farm-to-closet fashion? Read more
Does recycled gold herald a greener future for jewelry?
(New York Times) Boryana Straubel, founder of Generation Collection, calls recycled gold a way to clean up electronic waste — and a canny investment. Read more
Produced and hosted by Scott Kerr, The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury. Check out the last two episodes and gain new insights on the luxury industry:
🛍️ Zornitza Stefanova, founder and CEO luxury clienteling platform BSPK talks about how human connections elevate the customer experience Apple / Spotify
💎 Natural Diamond Council CEO David Kellie talks about the rebounding diamond industry and why Millennials and Gen Z are buying diamonds Apple / Spotify
✨Mixed Gems: Featured writers on luxury, fashion, and culture✨
One year on, has the pandemic taught the fashion industry sustainable lessons?
British Vogue writer Tamsin Blanchard reflects on how the global crisis scuppered the rat race of the fashion cycle. Read it here
Crypto is a luxury, Gucci just hasn’t realized it
Daniel Kuhn from coindesk says high-end retailers are accepting crypto for their wares when they should be thinking much bigger. Read it here
Fashion labels look to leave lasting legacy in fine jewelry
Milena Lazazzera at the Financial Times writes about fashion labels battling to be taken seriously in high end jewelry now worth a third of the market Read it here
Thank you for reading this,
Scott
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