FH

LUXE LENS2019

The

FH

In an age where local identity is paramount, we’ve connected the dots and shone the spotlight on five cities: London, Paris, NYC, Shanghai and Singapore that are sensing a change in the luxury space. Here are the reflections on three trends set to go mainstream in 2019. We take a look at luxury reimagined, luxury repurposed, luxury reengineered.

at fh we pride ourselves on having over 80 offices across the globe.

We are one of the most connected agencies and we’ve decided to leverage our access, insights and knowledge to help you get into your stride for 2019.

FH FH

LU

XU

RY

R

EIM

AG

INE

D

Luxury has changed. This has been playing out for a while in interesting ways. We’re seeing brands become more playful with partnerships. But how is this playing out in our five cities and what does it mean for consumers?In Europe, brands that have struggled with the shifts are starting to create more playful experiences.

FH FH

In Paris, the birthplace of luxury, we see that luxury brands target Gen Y and Z with a new approach that disrupts the traditional codes of the sector. Stores become experiential, immersing customers in a playful universe.

Chanel has opened a unique pop-up boutique at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, one of the most premium department stores in Paris: the Coco Lab, a corner that looks like a medical clinic, to sell its latest line of jewellery ‘Coco Crush.’ Visitors are invited to diagnose their dependence to Coco Crush by going through different examinations (eyesight, heart, stethoscope) and get a prescription of Coco Crush.

PARISThe Style Studio in Covent Garden is a new concept store from jeweller Tiffany & Co. that marks a departure from the brand’s traditional luxury retail proposition.

Featuring a fragrance vending machine, on-the-spot jewellery engraving and leather embossing, the store is encouraging a more playful way of interacting with the brand. The interiors are also a far cry from the typical luxury jeweller, with neon signs and walls printed with T logos and the brand’s trademark blue.

LONDON

FH FH

What we consider luxury is also shifting to include a broader area of items and experiences.

Nue Co. is creating an upscale narrative around supplements. Sold in unlikely places for vitamins, such as boutique hotels, Net-a-Porter, and a pop-up in SoHo, Manhattan, Nue Co. is giving consumers the opportunity to take their love of luxury to their health as well. This can also be seen in Goop’s foray into supplements.

Luxury is shifting away from simply ownership to experiential luxury by younger audiences that seek transformational experiences which fulfil their passions and aspirational value propositions.

Luxury brands are being playful, showing fun and not taking themselves seriously. For example, The Hermes Carre Club, a three-day experiential pop-up where visitors could explore and experience the creativity and craftsmanship of its scarves, made a splash in local news.

SINGAPORENYC

FH

There was a time when the West would heavily influence the market, but with the rise of affluent Chinese audiences, the Chinese are rewriting their own rulebook. Could they be the market to help traditional brands break the mould to retain their competitive edge?On a broad level, we are seeing luxury brands gaining cut through by diversifying their products and creating lower prices at entry level. Everyone wants a piece of luxury in China, and having an attractive price point is opening brands to younger audiences who are heavily influenced by celebrities. In China, luxury can equal mainstream with many TV reality shows such as ‘Idol Producer’ working with our brands.

An interesting opportunity is the merging of Western brand values to those of the Chinese — and this is a continual process. Brands will want to talk about history and craftsmanship but these pillars don’t resonate with our audiences in the same way. These brands must flex for Chinese audiences, often in a way that is not permissible in Europe.

Our client Blancpain is not associated with literary awards in the UK, USA or Europe. But here we saw a golden opportunity to resonate with younger audiences and create an award that was revered — just like their timepieces. We established a Chinese version of the Booker Prize, partnering with Chinese publisher Imaginist Press.

This is set to become the leading award in China for young writers. Most prizes have been won by older writers, but we knew that younger audiences are eager to be acknowledged as well.

spotlight country china

c l i e n t e x a m p l e

blancpain

FH FH

RE

PU

RP

OS

ED

L

UX

UR

Y

Businesses are increasingly being challenged to imbue a greater purpose into their campaigns and DNA. Audiences are seeking more transparency and a greater understanding of brands’ values which align to their own. The result is a beautiful opportunity to showcase ethics and demonstrate a more responsible approach to what is deemed a largely superficial industry.

FH FH

In Europe, we are seeing a significant rise in upcycling, which is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful and often beautiful.

To add to this, popularity of rental retail options in NYC, like the rise of Rent the Runway (which now has brick and mortar locations), has shifted the way people interact with luxury — both in terms of the temporary nature of “owning” an item as well as its accessibility to a new set of people who would otherwise not be able to afford that item.

Additionally, a few iconic luxury brands have recently explored unexpected and innovative ways to be more sustainable. Luxury watchmaker, Breitling, partnered with well-known American surfer Kelly Slater and sustainable apparel brand Outerknown to develop straps and packaging.

In Asia, we see more brands taking a more responsible approach towards the environment. In Singapore, the city is setting a precedent for innovative energy systems, food waste initiatives, and is responding to genuinely sustainable hotel options. As millennials are driving more companies to be greener, there is a vast opportunity for hotels and leisure.

With more travellers looking for green options, more hotels are being built and run that way to meet the demand. This is one of the reasons why Parkroyal on Pickering was voted Asia’s Leading Green Hotel at the World Travel Awards for the past three years and has grown its customer’s base due to its environmental beliefs.

Missoni, the luxury, family-run Italian label known for colourful and zigzag knits, displayed a patchwork coat and loose-fitting patchwork trousers made with upcycled vintage fabrics in a recent runway show. The patchwork coat will set a customer back $11,760, while the patchwork pants will cost $2,190. They are part of a limited-edition series of 25 garments made with upcycled vintage fabrics that will start arriving in stores in July 2019.

FH FH

LU

XU

RY

RE

EN

GIN

EE

RE

D

Brands are ending. The new narrative is a difference which should be celebrated and heard. Finally, diversity and gender fluidity are gaining momentum, especially outside of Asia. We expect to see more luxury brands experiment outside of the traditional confines of male and female stereotyping or traditional confines.

FH FH

Across Europe and North America, these topics have truly resonated with audiences and we are set to see a new narrative with new opportunities.

We look to our NYC partners to help us set the pace. They are really leading the charge on pushing the diversity message. The luxury designer community is also working to shine more of a spotlight on the need for different kinds of diversity in fashion, including the representation of the disabled and plus-size communities. This year’s New York Fashion Week’s level of diversity was extraordinary. Pyer Moss’ show celebrated African American culture by casting all black models, and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty show featured incredibly inclusive casting with women of all sizes and races in lingerie.

In Far East Asia, gender fluidity is still on the edge of culture and still a sensitive topic, but the theme of ending stereotyping is still prevalent. Here they are pushing for the voices of women to be heard. Unilever has vowed to end lazy stereotyping for women, and we see luxe brands also taking on the cause.

The beautiful campaign by skin care brand SK-II titled ‘She Finally Goes to the Marriage Corner’ ( ) has gained huge popularity on Chinese social media. The short video shows how women, pressured to get married by their families and society, pluck up the courage to speak out and get their message heard.

We need to just look at the work of Nike and their ‘Dream Crazier’ ad that shows the power of purpose and brand. European luxury fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Dior have already started to embrace that philosophy. Chanel also just debuted its men’s makeup line, Boy de Chanel, which will likely be followed by the rest of the industry.

If you want to hear more from us, please contact:

LONDON/EUROPE Sherawaye Hagger Sherawaye.Hagger@fhflondon.co.uk

NYC Emily Kirszrot emily.kirszrot@fleishman.com

PARIS Sandrine Cormary sandrine.cormary@omnicomprgroup.com

SINGAPORE Anu Ramasamy Anu.Ramasamy@omnicomprgroup.com

SHANGHAI Chris Wu chris.wu@fleishman.com