Spot on: Marc Jacobs

Personal Life

• Born on April 9th 1963 in New York City

• Non-observant Jewish

• Marc was seven when his father passed away

• According to Marc, his mother was mentally ill and could not take care of the kids

• In his teen age, he moved with his paternal grandmother on the Upper West Side of Manhattan

• He is openly gay and was in a four-year relationship with Jason Preston (salesman) and later with Lorenzo Martone (advertising executive) with whom he broke up with in 2010

Education

• Graduated from the High School of Art and Design in 1981

• He also studied at the Parsons School of Design, New York

• At Parsons, he won the Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award, in 1984

• In the same year he was also awarded the Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award and the Design Student of the Year Award

Career

• American fashion designer

• Creative director of Louis Vuitton since 1997

• At age fifteen, he work as a stock-boy at Charivari an avant-garde clothing boutique in New York (the boutique does no longer exist)

• While still at Parsons, he designed and sold his first line of hand-knit sweaters and also a collection for Reuben Thomas Inc under the Sketchbook label

• He formed Jacob Duffy Designs Inc. with his creative and business collaborator Robert Duffy

• In 1986 Jacobs designed his first collection bearing the Marc JAcobs label

• In 1987, Marc was the youngest designer to have ever been awarded the fashion industry highest tribute for 'New Fashion Talent' by the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Perry Ellis Award

• In fall of 1993, Jacobs Duffy Designs In. launch their own licensing and design company: Marc Jacobs International Company, L.P

• In 1994, Jacobs produced his first full collection of menswear

• In 1997 when he was appointed Louis Vuitton's creative director, he created the company's first ready-to-wear clothing line

• Most of his collections make references to the fashion of past decades from the 40s to the 80s

Are You Tired of Louis Vuitton Logo?

When you think of Louis Vuitton, the first thing that comes in your mind may probably be the LV monogram or Damier logo as opposed to the Nomade, Suhali, Taiga, Epi, Mahina, Exotic or Antheia. Matter of fact you didn't even know all those designs existed. Well, today I came across a very interesting article that I would love to share. It is entitled "Has Logo Fatigue Reached a Tipping Point?" written by Suleman Anaya for the Business Of Fashion [Online]. The article stresses that Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury brand is trying to shift its focus away from the very trademarks on which its success has been built. This means moving beyond the monogram and enhancing more their craftsmanship.

It all started at Paris Fashion Week, Fall 2013 where the monogram was nowhere to be found. This decision was made by Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, the house of Louis Vuitton. Why? Simply because customers are getting tired of the brand's damier. Thinking it is ubiquitous. Especially due to the changing luxury consumption habits in China -Asia, without Japan accounts of 28% of Louis Vuitton sales. Chinese consumers have now moved on from conspicuous logos to a much more global mindset of uniqueness, high-quality and understatement in luxury items

“Luxury in China is now about being ‘in the know’ versus being ‘in the show’,” said Bruno Lannes, a Bain partner in Greater China and lead author of the Chinese edition of the study. “Changes in what Chinese shoppers want are now a central issue for the global luxury sector’s largest brands.”

Apparently, logo fatigue is not a new phenomenon; in 2010, François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive of PPR, which owns Gucci, told WWD "Our groups are moving toward fewer logos, more discreet luxury. It’s a question of adapting our ranges very rapidly to this new perception of luxury, a luxury which is more subtle, more sophisticated which is what we are doing.”

Personally I think this is a pretty good strategy for Louis Vuitton to move beyond its trademark logo because I feel like the monogram and the damier are over rated with a sea full of counterfeits. I think Louis Vuitton have such a strong brand equity that, focusing on communicating  what they know best aka their 'craftsmanship' would lead to people learn beyond the Logo LV and also make them appreciate more of the genuine leather rather than the letters or little squares.

If you like Branding, this article covers the topic of 'Developing a new brand strategy'. It is very insightful. 

Read the original article by clicking here

Bisou-Bisous,

Mel.