Radar: Retail Expansion, Brands Grow Internationally
In an effort to better tackle the Asian market, French fashion brand Christian Lacroix is partnering with media conglomerate Lagardère Active. The plans are to capitalize on Lagardère’s know-how and the Lacroix brand’s existing presence in Asia to build the Elle fashion franchise.
First marketing the company’s menswear and possibly later expanding to include accessories, intimate apparel, shoes and jewelry, the deal also includes keeping several pacts global, such as fragrance and home textiles. It will be a first for Lagardère Active: Lacroix is the first external label the media giant has teamed with.
Elie Tahari is likewise going more global. The designer has unveiled his first international flagship, located in Istanbul, plus plans to conquer the globe further through freestanding units and a wholesale network. The goal is to rake in a cool $1 billion in revenue in under a few years.
“We are about real clothes,” Tahari said. “… If you give the consumer the product they are looking and asking for, your business has the opportunity to flourish, even in this economy.”—WWD
The designer is therefore marketing all over the world: a new store in Qatar, more in-store shops in Korea, four new locations in Mexico, another six in Spain and a place in Greece. Tahari currently has 90 shop-in-shops internationally, but he seeks to expand to 400 shop-in-shops in the next five years. Throw in some domestic expansion, a relaunched website and a nice international marketing plan, and the designer seems well on his way toward achieving his goals.
