N.15 January 2020

Shh... American luxury’s quiet, matter-of-fact revolution

Life Is Beautiful A festival that puts art and empowerment ahead of profit

Experience Required Is experiential retail missing the mark?

In Gamba The ecosystem of athletic brands and the communities they commit to

19M Chanel’s plan to spark a craftwork renaissance

THE RETAIL DARWIN | N.15 | DECEMBER 2019 | WWW.THERETAILDARWIN.COM RETAIL Shhh... American luxury’s quiet, matter-of-fact revolution Fashion, like many industries that rely on social the spotlight. The Row, for instance, is almost media to connect with their consumers, is entirely anti-publicity, despite being founded compelled to quickly follow trends and hot and self-financed by Mary-Kate and Ashley concepts, and in turn share that with their Olsen. The line was first sold with no labels; the audience. The result is an onslaught of seemingly handbags are logo-free. When the men’s line constant messaging that can become intrusive. debuted, the brand shot no promotional imagery. To the consumer, it becomes a lot of noise. Some Gabriela Hearst is known for doing everything to American brands, however, are pursuing a different push forward the causes she champions while approach, rising above the hustle and bustle to maintaining an understated presence. Ryan grow their businesses without pushy marketing. Roche works from her barn-studio in upstate New York, where she focuses more on building a The Row, Gabriela Hearst, and Ryan Roche, wardrobe of consistent, practical staples, rather all young relative to Europe’s heritage luxury than growing a massive Instagram following. giants, make up for their lack in history with one attractive value proposition: quietness. They These labels cultivate a note of mystery, matter- offer consistency in careful, elevated designs, of-factness, and purpose. Their success proves quality fabrics, attention to practical details, and that consumers will pay for good products, no precise tailoring while keeping their distance from matter how they find them.

N.15 | JANUARY 2020 1 Sources: BoF | September 9, 2019 Financial Times | March 6, 2016 Image: Andrew H. Walker/Getty ART&DESIGN

Life Is Beautiful A festival that puts art and empowerment ahead of profit

The annual Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival locally known as “the writer’s corner,” Daku’s has been transforming the cityscape and energy work pays homage to a bookstore that once of Downtown Las Vegas through positivity, lived in the host building. The piece is quietly purpose, and inspiring messages since its 2013 animated by the sun through the day revealing launch. a well-known poem missing only its final verse: “but for those who love, time is eternity.” In addition to the celebration of music, comedy, speeches, small businesses, and food, Life is The festival started as a simple event, but has Beautiful has a strong focus on art, providing its since become something much more: a brand 200,000 plus attendees and the local community that unites people around artistic and cultural with murals and interactive art experiences. In experiences. “The idea was to build this festival 2019, one of the most captivating new works that was somewhat idealistic, as in, this is what was a “solar-powered” shadow mural created by the city of Las Vegas could look like,” said CEO India’s most prominent anonymous street artist and partner of the festival Justin Weniger, “We DAKU and female-run creative house Justkids, don’t do the festival as a profit center, our only which has curated all of the art for the festival real metric, our only real KPI, is how much we’re since its inception. Located on Fremont Street, developing a community.”

N.15 | JANUARY 2020 2 Sources: Justkids Life Is Beautiful WWD | July 26, 2018 RETAIL

Experience Required Is experiential retail missing the mark?

In a retail environment where brands strive to —implementing entertainment aspects into the edit the “look” or “feel” of a customer’s journey retail mix - is not necessarily a new concept in both online and off, “experience” is often brick and mortar, it now lends itself to building misinterpreted as a purely aesthetic concept. As experiences that are not ancillary aspects of the brands continue to disrupt their own models in retail environment but rather the main stage. attempts at emulating powerhouse DTC brands like Glossier, they tend to gravitate toward At The Standard’s High Line location in New changing their look, inserting technology, and York, “Chanel No.5 in the Snow” is an experiential investing in more employee training. pop-up driven by Chanel’s latest perfume campaign with ice skating, hot chocolate, and a Doug Stephens, retail expert and founder of The unique augmented-reality snow globe activation. Retail Prophet, has a theory behind why these In Bryant Park, PopSugar’s “Sugar Chalet” is seemingly large efforts act like a band-aid fix. building an offline audience through meditation, Stephens asserts that the customer experience yoga, and cuisine, molding the experience of should exist as a series of carefully engineered the activation with the media product. These moments that focus on unique operating strategies experiences create the lasting impression that in a ground-up manner. While retailtainment consumers carry with them long after their visit.

N.15 | JANUARY 2020 3 Sources: BoF | March 1, 2017 Retail Dive | November 13, 2019 WWD | December 10, 2019 Image: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty CULTURE In Gamba Athletic brands commit to community-building among amateur athletes. 18.1 million runners registered for a race in 2018 community in Austin TX, hosts events and runs in the U.S. But beyond the racing athletes, there that allow participants to share energy and are as many as 60 million runners and 47 million experiences in a close-knit club. João Correia, cyclists in the U.S. who find joy in their chosen a former pro cyclist, founded inGamba (derived sport, even with no finish line in sight. Some from the Italian phrase “on legs,” which is used brands are helping these aficionados connect figuratively to mean strong and capable), a cycle- and bond as a community, not competitors. touring company. Instead of racing, the “spokes people” enjoy cutting-edge gear, food and wine, Tracksmith, a Boston brand, takes an anti-Nike culture, and beautiful landscapes while riding approach: they cultivate a runners-only community together. The community supports initiatives that by producing timeless gear that doesn’t make aid poverty relief in developing countries with runners “look like power rangers.” Swiss running comprehensive bicycle distribution programs. gear brand On sponsors the Marais Running Club, which started a movement promoting “You really need to have more of a grassroots running “without stressing over performance.” approach in the beginning. There is no way a Members run with no tracking wearables: they’re brand like ours could exist long term if you skip comfortably amateur. The Loop Running Supply that first step,” said co-founder and CEO of Company, a store created by and for the running Tracksmith Matt Taylor.

N.15 | JANUARY 2020 4 Source: inGamba Glossy | September 3, 2019 On Running | Marais Running Club The Loop Running Supply Company CULTURE 19M Chanel’s plan to spark a craftwork renaissance Chanel announced the plan to unveil 19M, a Chanel’s Paraffection division, created with unique space on the edge of Paris that will the goal of preserving the heritage, craft, and bring together its master artisans. The name manufacturing skills in fashion. Bruno Pavlovsky, references both the arrondissement where it’s president of Chanel Fashion and Chanel SAS, located and Gabrielle Chanel’s birthday; M called for 19M to be “a center where artisans, stands for “mains (hands), mode (fashion), and the public, schools and students and lovers of métier (craftsmanship).” art in the neighborhood can meet.”

Set to open in 2020, the 275,000-sq-ft facility The mission of 19M calls to mind the apprentice- designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti will be learning model in 15th Century Renaissance home to 600 renowned artisans. The illustrious workshops: students work side-by-side with occupants will include Lesage Intérieurs and its masters in state-of-the-art studios to become embroidery school; Montex and MTX Atelier, on top of their game, inheriting skillful working its furnishing division; the shoemaker Massaro; practices and graceful conduct. “Not everyone Lemarié, maker of feathers and flowers; the wants to write code, work in service, draw up milliner Maison Michel; fabric pleater Lognon; contracts or even be a journalist. Imagine. goldsmith Goossens; and Eres, the lingerie There’s money and satisfaction that comes with and swimwear brand. Many of them belong to skilled craftsmanship,” wrote Monocle.