Paris restaurant, which showcases artistic furniture and paintings from the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Also Italian high-end brand Furla supports
art through an annual young artists award called ‘Furla per l’Arte’, which it set
up in collaboration with the Italian foundation for art and culture, Querini
Stampalia. Another notable example is the Bally Museum owned by the Swiss
brand, where visitors can find shoe displays from the early twentieth century.
Other brands such as Bvlgari, Cartier, Rolex and Ermenegildo Zegna are all
connected with several art initiatives, providing a link to retailment.
The fusion of art and fashion can also be extended to product development
and often leads to success when effectively managed. For example, the 2005
collaboration between fashion designer Lulu Guinness and British sculptor
Ann Carrington to create a limited edition collection of handbags was highly
successful. Also, the famous Louis Vuitton monogram multicolour range is a
result of the collaboration between the brand’s Creative Director Marc Jacobs
and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Several other examples can be found
in the works of other luxury brands.
The combination of fashion and art, however, requires strategic direction.
The strategic challenge lies in incorporating the brand’s collaborations within
the brand story and effectively communicating them to the public, rather than
treating them as part of the periodic ‘News & Highlights’ of the brand.
In the literary entertainment sphere, British accessories brand Jimmy Choo
provided a link with the art of photography and writing through its Coffee Table
photography book, titled Four Inches. Other publications that are aimed at both
informing and entertaining the public are the 20-years chronicle book of Dolce
and Gabbana titled 20 Years: Dolce & Gabbana published in 2005; the 150
years anniversary publication of Louis Vuitton in 2005; and the book that
chronicles the history of fashion brand Diesel, titled Fifty, which was published
in 2005 to coincide with the 50th birthday anniversary of Diesel founder Renzo
Russo. Louis Vuitton has also incorporated a bookshop at its Avenue des
Champs Elysées Paris store, where Louis Vuitton travel guides are sold.90
luxury fashion brandingFigure 4.5 Vanessa
Beecroft exhibition
poster at L’Espace
Louis Vuitton, Paris,
January to March 2006