In a world full of interesting emerging firms, why do investors prefer to bet on brands with a history, even if they have been forgotten for decades<\/strong>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fashion is a collection of physical and immaterial elements<\/strong> that enchant us with the halo of novelty while living simply and simply. Consider your adidas Samba or the well-known denim skirt from Diesel. As customers (which includes consumers and the general public), we are hopelessly drawn to what has already been seen and worn. We are not alone. This nostalgic weakness affects designers<\/strong> (who all have aesthetic phobias and philias) as well as the executives<\/strong> who pull the strings we do not see. Their motivations, however, differ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it was announced that Walter Albini had been purchased by Mayhoola for Investments<\/strong>, the conglomerate owned by the Qatari royal family and the owner of Balmain and Valentino, there was some inaccuracy in the information. In addition to the rumour that Alessandro Michele<\/strong> would be in charge of the creative direction of his second life (rumours are something of a life in the fashion industry), who was behind the project was not Mayhoola but Bidayat, a Swiss-based platform (wink, wink) created by its CEO, Rachid Mohammed Rachid, to “support emerging firms.” Is Walter Albini considered a new firm? No. Walter Albini is just another sleeping beauty whom someone has decided to kiss in exchange for a large sum of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: Walter Albini<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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“Walter Albini is just another sleeping beauty whom someone has decided to kiss<\/strong>…”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Investment by imitation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The allusion to a fairy tale is not by chance. Like in a fairy tale, all financiers willing to take a chance on the fashion industry want to replicate the feat of Bernard Arnault, owner of LVMH<\/strong> (Arnault began in the 1980s trying to imitate Alain Wertheimer, owner of Chanel). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buy a relevant firm cheap<\/strong> in its day, blow it up like a balloon with the talk of the splendor of its past (in a matter of 24 hours, Albini was already a pioneer of luxury ready-to-wear, promoter of vintage aesthetics and creator of the total look) and sell products of different categories (and prices) under his name to the the top of the list of brands with the highest profits. Could not they do the same thing with new brands?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The legend factor and the archive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Yes and no, but when creating a new brand, you must create a story, an image, and an imaginary. imaginary. Something that makes the price worthwhile. The investor, the owner-entrepreneur, wishes to put it to use at the rate dictated by marketing manuals. If the new brand’s universe is given and does not fit in with certain commercial aspects, it is difficult to transform it without losing logic in the eyes of the consumer. If you have not yet drawn it, you must develop each and every point in these manuals. Too much money and time have been invested for such a risk.<\/strong> The opposite is also true: designers such as Jacquemus have not been enticed by the creative director’s chair of another brand, nor by the injection of money that would come with the participation of a large group. They are not willing to stumble over the stone on which many lost their name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the acquisition was announced, the new owner of Walter Albini immediately added a link to @walteralbini_officialarchive<\/a><\/strong> to his website. This solved the problem of providing content until there was another reason to be in the news (the appointment of a creative director, a rebranding, the first collection, etc.). In a way, the archive legitimises the firm’s incorporation into the brand to the market. It is more than just a brand; it is a brand with a history. The archive justifies practically anything<\/strong>: the launch of a handbag, the marketing of a perfume, the celebration of a fashion show in that place where the original creator spent a few days of a few days’ vacation. The archive fills empty spaces that with a new brand can only be filled with time. <\/p>\n\n\n
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Jean Patou before his rebirth. Source: Grazia
<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Whoever writes the check doesn’t know fashion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is the old known more valuable than the new unknown? Let’s say you have money to spare. <\/strong>So much so that, for some reason and despite never having seen a football game in your life, you decide to purchase a team. When it comes to assembling a team, who would you choose? a promising player or a winner of the Ballon d’Or? Both options may be correct, but it appears that you are also fiscally conservative. You take the safe route. At the same time, you recognise that it is much easier to manage a company named after someone who can no longer say “but.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The world of large corporations is a very small world. The point is that in today’s market, being at the top of the best-selling and most-followed brands is extremely difficult. <\/strong>Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Herm\u00e8s are all in their own league. Labels such as Prada, Valentino, and Dior fall into the next category. The more realistic goal would be to replicate the success of Lanvin with Alber Elbaz or Balmain with Decarnin, the last times when a brand’s awakening was successful. Schiaparelli is on its way, but has not yet succeeded. Regarding Patou, suffice it to say that, if you search for the firm on Google, its title on the results page includes the concept “Sale up to 50% off”.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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