into its market space. Like the famous ship, Titanic, the couture house
believed that it couldn’t sink.
2 After Charles Worth’s death, La Maison Worth overlooked changing soci-
etal trends and evolving consumer tastes.
3 The couture house ignored their competitors and failed to recognize their
potential.
4 After the death of Charles Worth, La Maison Worth focused on promoting
the spirit of Charles Worth to a diminishing consumer group instead of re-
inventing the brand to attract a new consumer group and retain the interest
of the old consumers.
5 Charles Frederick Worth did not prepare his design house well enough for
his demise.
If La Maison Worth were still in existence with a similar level of prominence
and fame, the brand value would have been among the highest in the world
of luxury fashion. Although La Maison Worth no longer exists, Charles Worth
undoubtedly set the foundation of the modern luxury fashion sector as an
important aspect of the global society and a strong global economic force.
Great moments in the history of fashion
The history and evolution of fashion is undoubtedly fascinating. The world of
fashion has witnessed several important phenomena that have brought change
to both its consumption patterns and management practices. Here are ten
events that so far can be summed up as the greatest moments in the evolution
of luxury fashion. They incorporate the facet of creative design, the influence
of society and the management aspect of fashion:
1 The early Egyptian era of opulence.
2 The Italian Renaissance period of art and fashion.
3 The reign of France’s King Louis XIV and the rise of French luxury fash-
ion and lifestyle.
4 The century of Charles Frederick Worth and the invention of haute
couture.
5 Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and the birth of modern luxury.
6 The rise of New York and American ready-to-wear.
7 The second Italian fashion revolution of the sixties and seventies.
8 Tom Ford, the revival of Gucci and commercial luxury fashion.
9 Bernard Arnault, LVMH and modern luxury fashion management.
10 The internet revolution and e-commerce.
The history of luxury fashion branding indicates the unquestionable role of
society in laying a foundation for the sector and contributing to its development.
chapter 2 57the history of luxury fashion branding