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  • Faust
    kitsch killer
    • Sep 2006
    • 37852

    Lanvin Expanding



    Good for them.





    Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2007

    By Miles Socha



    PARIS ? Capitalizing on a string of hit collections by its
    designer, Alber Elbaz, Lanvin is embarking on its next growth phase,
    headlined by a retail rollout and product expansion.



    "The indicators are good and the untapped potential is still huge,"
    said Lanvin president Paul Deneve, projecting sales growth in the range
    of 40 percent for 2008.



    Partnering with local retailers, Lanvin plans to open about a dozen
    boutiques during the next year in the Middle East, Europe and India, he
    said, mentioning such cities as Istanbul, Dubai, Moscow, Athens and
    Delhi. Deneve is also scouting for company-owned locations in New York,
    Los Angeles, London and Milan, aiming to open three to four key
    locations over the next two years.



    "That's a real jump forward in terms of distribution," he said during
    an exclusive interview. Also coming later this month is an
    800-square-foot in-store shop at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. Until
    now, Barneys New York, one of Lanvin's key American retail partners,
    has had a lock on the brand in Manhattan.



    At present, Lanvin operates 10 company-owned freestanding stores and an
    another 22 with retail partners, but roughly 70 percent of its business
    remains wholesale.



    Part and parcel of the retail rollout is a new design concept. In
    September, Lanvin unveiled its first new-look unit at its Paris
    flagship: raw concrete floors, gleaming lacquer panels,
    industrial-steel fixtures and vintage Art Deco furnishings.



    Deneve said a number of existing stores would be renovated with the
    design, including its Monaco location and the Paris men's flagship.



    The executive declined to give revenue figures for the company, which
    is owned by Taiwanese publishing magnate Shaw-Lan Wang. But Deneve was
    unequivocal that Lanvin, fuelled by rapid sales in every product
    category, is entering a new profitable growth phase, entering the black
    in 2007 for the first time in years.



    But the growth has been controlled. As Elbaz told WWD The Magazine last
    month, he dislikes the word "momentum" applied to Lanvin. "I'm not sure
    fashion is just about the here and now," he said. "For me, it's about
    design and about desire and dreams. Fashion is about creating a need;
    it's not about momentum. I hate that word. It's the most scary thing."

    While Elbaz's feminine and influential designs have turned Lanvin into
    one of the hottest designer brands on the market, the brand's recent
    success can also be attributed to key structural and organizational
    changes.



    The company's supply chain has been overhauled, shaving more than six
    weeks off delivery times. Deneve has also beefed up management. In the
    last six months, he has named executives to head four key business
    groups: accessories, men's wear, retail and the U.S. region.



    Accessories currently account for about a third of Lanvin's sales, and
    Deneve asserted the brand has "tremendous" room to expand its business
    in handbags, footwear and costume jewelry.



    "The approach is not to find a hit bag or an 'It' bag. The plan is to create a range," Deneve noted.



    For next spring, Lanvin is emphasizing three key handbag styles: the Pop clutch and the Partage and Padova bags.



    Men's wear has also been explosive, thanks largely to a new fashion
    line introduced two years ago, overseen by Elbaz and designed by Dior
    Homme alum Lucas Ossendrijver. Best-selling items include dressy
    sneakers, glossy loafers, tuxedos and bib-front shirts.



    Deneve said spring 2008 men's orders jumped 80 percent as the brand
    reentered such fashion and luxury-conscious markets as the U.S. and
    Italy. Deneve noted its classic men's line, now labeled Lanvin 15
    Faubourg, has also been updated and is gaining traction.



    When Elbaz arrived at Lanvin five years ago, women's wear accounted for
    only about 10 percent of revenues, Deneve said. Today, that number has
    rocketed to 65 percent.



    Still, Deneve asserted Lanvin had plenty of room to grow in women's
    ready-to-wear, noting the brand was still not widely distributed in
    Asia and citing recent expansion into bridalwear and more casual,
    item-driven styles under the 22 Faubourg label.



    At present, 38 percent of Lanvin's revenues derive from Europe, 29
    percent from the U.S., 21 percent from the Middle East and Russia, and
    12 percent from Asia.



    Lanvin already has licenses for eyewear and men's furnishings, but
    Deneve said no additional categories were pending. "It's about
    developing the categories we have."



    Last August, Lanvin sold its fragrance and cosmetics business to Inter
    Parfums SA for 22 million euros, or about $30 million, to insure it had
    the funds necessary to develop the rtw and accessories businesses. It
    was a move that raised eyebrows in the industry and, according to
    sources, sent divisive shock waves through the uppermost echelons of
    the fashion house.Elbaz and Deneve have declined all comment on that
    transaction. Waving off the question anew, Deneve shifted the
    discussion to how Lanvin could capitalize on the brand's momentum and
    invest in expansion.



    He stressed, however, that growth would be controlled to preserve the
    house's "human scale" and family atmosphere, which Elbaz encourages
    with extensive personal contact among Lanvin's employees, retail
    partners, consumers and editors.



    "He really gives this positive drive to everyone," Deneve said. "It's
    an intangible, but you can feel the difference in the end."

    Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

    StyleZeitgeist Magazine
  • Faust
    kitsch killer
    • Sep 2006
    • 37852

    #2
    Re: Lanvin Expanding

    It's a pretty amazing and bold and a very welcome move to dump the fragrance business in favor of clothes [64]
    Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

    StyleZeitgeist Magazine

    Comment

    • Casius
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2006
      • 4772

      #3
      Re: Lanvin Expanding

      Awesome article, thank you very much for posting Faust.

      I have to say, I'm glad to read the line/s are doing well and that the menswear is starting to hold it's own. Also kind of surprised to see that the US is number 2 in terms of sales, but I guess with the lack of Asia distribution it isn't that hard.

      Would be nice to see a flagship Lanvin store in NY or LA, I'm sure it would do quite well. Also really want to check out the new space in Bergdorf, I hope that's open by the end of December.

      Also, I agree about the fragrance deal. Most big companies that's how they stay a float but Lanvin decided to go the other direction; I can applaud that.
      "because the young are whores. dealers come to carol to get the rock"

      Comment

      • dzphoto
        Member
        • Dec 2006
        • 30

        #4
        Re: Lanvin Expanding

        I just looked through the new Lanvin Book (Dean L. Merceron, Rizzoli, $85) 370 pages of amazing design from past to present. It's amazing!

        Comment

        • Casius
          Senior Member
          • Dec 2006
          • 4772

          #5
          Re: Lanvin Expanding

          That book is on my Xmas list for sure. Is it all pictures though?
          "because the young are whores. dealers come to carol to get the rock"

          Comment

          • Fuuma
            Senior Member
            • Sep 2006
            • 4050

            #6
            Re: Lanvin Expanding

            And you guys didn't believe me when I said Lanvin would emerge as the new "it" brand...
            Selling CCP, Harnden, Raf, Rick etc.
            http://www.stylezeitgeist.com/forums...me-other-stuff

            Comment

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