Atkinson agreed: “The brands [we see] that are doing well are those leaning into it but also staying true to like all the other stuff that they do great, which obviously is the brand, the connection with the customers, but then weaving AI into the customer touchpoints to give a better experience.”
But even e-commerce-shy players can cause a stir, as seen at Paris Fashion Week in March, where Matthieu Blazy’s first Chanel collection drop sparked a frenzy in the fashion capital. Aiken, who was in the city for fashion week, said: “I think that brings around a question of what a playbook looks like to drive relevancy and hype now. It’s a really intentional distribution strategy, right? Like, if you look at the rollout of that Chanel drop, it went from city to city over time, and it was, you know, obviously, they’re only a store-based environment. It’s creating a lot of immediacy through various communication channels and then exceptional storytelling that backs all of that up.”
“While DTC has come a long way, it’s still not quite the same as going into the store and having that conversation with people or feeling part of the community of people within the line that you’re waiting for,” Atkinson added.
The first chapter of How to Sell Now, Direct-to-Consumer, was published on May 13, and the full report will be published on May 27.
Panel: Luxury’s Next Growth Markets
As growth in China has normalized, Southeast Asia, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Africa, Brazil and Mexico, luxury’s “Six Pack” dubbed by Kering’s Luca de Meo, are emerging with white space to tap. Panelists from Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Africa certainly seemed to think so.
“Brazilcore” is trending, says Bruno Astuto, chief creative officer of JHSF Participações and a columnist for Vogue Brasil. “It started on TikTok with football jerseys and Havaianas flip-flops. But it’s more than that.” Astuto points to the growing international visibility of Brazilian cinema and brands such as Granado and Farm Rio. “Even with our group, JHSF, we are exporting Latin American hospitality for the first time,” he says, referring to JHSF’s partnership with the Fasano Group, in which the company is the majority owner and real estate partner.
JHSF also operates luxury retail brands in Brazil, including Hermès, Celine, Brunello Cucinelli, and Isabel Marant. Alaïa, James Perse, and Fusalp are set to join the portfolio, while Loro Piana is slated to open a directly operated store. “The first Loro Piana in Latin America is going to be in our malls,” Astuto says. “The challenge in the country is first and foremost the import taxes we have,” Astuto says. All eyes are on the proposed EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which would reduce tariffs.
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