ateliers and matelliers with proven savoir-faire. This production flexibility
provides the brand with the ability to easily adapt to changing consumer
needs.
The workmanship reflects handcrafted traditional know-how as each
André Ross product is assembled by hand. Several products in the range have
also remained under the bespoke collection. For example, the Luxury Fur bag
collection of autumn/winter 2005 was a limited edition of 40 pieces.
The brand uses materials that possess the greatest possible strength and
reflect a perfect fusion of traditional leather-making and technical triumph.
Each of the products is made with hand-selected materials and completed
with lavish fittings. The products also feature the distinctive André Ross logo
with the signature 23-carat gold plated hardware on the exterior and butter
soft lambskin lining on the interior. The individualized bespoke bags often
come in solid 18-carat yellow or white gold hardware.
Other product features of the prêt-à-porterrange indicate distinctive qual-
ities such as a soft suede lining that can be pulled out for cleaning, a turn lock
for extra security, screwed down buckles for longer wear, individual serial
numbers and a lifetime guarantee. The brand is also the pioneer of the Haute
Couture Index Item code (HDII) which is a mark of quality and authenticity
for each product.
The retail strategy of André Ross is both innovative and revolutionary.
The brand adopted the Reverse Positioning strategy in its retail development,
as a result of its understanding of the nature of the global luxury market. This
strategy features an implementation of strategies that are often contrary to
the structural techniques of an industrial sector. Luxury brands have tradi-
tionally followed the technique of opening up stores in the major fashion
capitals like Paris, Milan, New York and London and then expanding the
retail network afterwards. André Ross, however, adopted a strategy contrary
to this by launching its first retail store in the lucrative Asian market, Hong
Kong, and then expanding its global retail network from there. Although the
brand maintains its bespoke ateliers and overall product development in
France, it used the Asian market as a launch-pad for its extended global retail
network. This strategy is highly feasible in the current luxury market context
as the Asian market has the potential of becoming the world’s largest luxury
market.
Companies often adopt the reverse positioning strategy in markets that are
either currently undergoing an evolution or those that require new practices.
The strategy is often a challenging and sometimes risky venture. The key to
the success of the strategy is timing, as this strategy only works if imple-
mented at the right time to a ready consumer market. In the case of André
Ross, the strategic implication of this tactic is the use French savoir-faireand
heritage to tap into the high-yielding Asian market.
An additional viable retail strategy that André Ross has adopted is e-retail
through its website, andreross.com. The brand is one of only a few luxury
chapter 10 307case illustrations