Art of Luxury

The Born Again

One of the many beautiful things about fashion is its unstoppable change. New trends seem to pop up daily, style icons come and go and popular colors or fabrics constantly vary. For fashionistas, this fast-paced evolution is all part of the fun. However, for luxury fashion houses, this raises an important question: How does one stay relevant in the ever-changing world of style?

Recently, there's been a major rebranding movement among many luxury fashion houses. Due to a decline in sales or popularity, brands realize a marketing revamp is key to staying afloat. Rebranding is a delicate process and is often easier said than done. It poses a challenge for creative directors and CEOs of fashion houses as they work to change their brand without losing originality.

While rebranding is challenging, it is assuredly possible. For instance, Burberry is known for having one of the best rebrands so far in fashion history. In the early 2000s, the brand became associated with “chav culture,” a negative stereotype of the British working class that sent sales plummeting. The iconic beige check print previously associated with A-listers was now making tabloid headlines for all the wrong reasons. According to The British Broadcasting Company, pubs and clubs across the country banned customers who wore the brand as it even started to be associated with criminals.

When Angela Ahrendts took over as CEO of Burberry in 2006, the company was deeply in trouble. Ahrendts, in collaboration with creative director Christopher Bailey, began to tell a new story for Burberry by embracing innovation. At a time when major fashion houses saw over-the-top websites as risky, the two moved Burberry into the digital age. Through the creation of Burberry.com, its social media and its live streaming of fashion shows, digital engagement with customers was at a high. As much as the company worked to modernize, Ahrendts and Bailey also realized how important Burberry’s history was to the brand. They embraced its British history and popularity by using prominent British celebrities to popularize the brand.

Over time, the push to modernize Burberry, yet still remain intact with its originality, proved to be successful. This success is often associated with the brand’s executive members determination to start fresh. Burberry worked with negativity in a way that showed innovation. This innovation is something all fashion houses looking to rebrand can take note from.

Recently, some of most well-known houses in fashion such as Saint Laurent, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Coach have taken their shot at rebranding, too. Rebrands don’t always have to be so businessorientated like Burberry's was. We are talking about fashion, here!

Gucci made an impressive rebranding decision in 2017 when it decided to become a completely furfree company. This was huge, especially since Gucci has been known for its fur pieces. Additionally, with an average five-figure price tag, these pieces were major money makers.

In a press release made by The Humane Society of The United States (HSUS), Marco Bizzarri, Gucci’s president and CEO said, “Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals. With the help of HSUS, Gucci is excited to take this next step and hopes it will help inspire innovation and raise awareness, changing the luxury fashion industry for the better.” Celebrities like Future and Justin Bieber have been seen all around Hollywood sporting Gucci—not to mention the trope of college students sporting Gucci slides and belts—which goes to show people are on board with this decision.

Hedi Slimane, Saint Laurent’s creative director until 2016, is credited with being the power behind the drastic and controversial rebrand of the French fashion house. Slimane turned heads when he decided to change the brand name from “Yves Saint Laurent” to “Saint Laurent Paris.” As the company was originally named after its founder, loyal followers of the brand saw Slimane’s decision to drop “Yves” as a sign of disrespect. However, Slimane’s reasoning was exactly the opposite. He was simply aiming to restore Laurent's original image when he first named the company “Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.”

Slimane also made several rebranding movements by adding a more youthful energy to a previously sophisticated and poised fashion house. The fresh vision is what attracted the beloved Harry Styles to the brand. He is now known as one of the brand’s biggest celebrity supporters.

Although fashion trends are forever changing, thanks to companies like Burberry, Gucci and Saint Laurent, it's safe to say fashion rebrands will always be in style.

written by Kaylee Spahr

styled by Tatum Suter and Olivia Mancy

model: Celina Nowicki

photographed by Kendall Erickson