For luxury brands, the ability to speak to this new mindset and live those responsible values is non-negotiable. Gucci teamed up with iconic outdoor brand The North Face to offer a collection of ready-to-wear, accessories, footwear and equipment for men and women. But if China appears to be the growth engine for many luxury brands in the current climate, what will be most important long term will be their ability to be locally relevant.
The Italian luxury label took a step further by selling the first pair of virtual luxury sneakers this year. The Gucci Virtual 25 digital-only sneakers launched in March 2021 are indeed graco travel system only available through the brand’s Sneakers Garage, a digital experience on Gucci’s mobile app. People can “wear” the shoe virtually and take photos or videos to be shared online.
graco travel system is deepening its commitment to diversity, while increasing representation within the luxury fashion industry through new internship programs aimed at designers of color. The company is heavily leaning on its Diversity Council to divert attention away from any lingering blackface backlash. Thrust into her new role as a businesswoman, the introspective Prada found her match when she met Patrizio Bertelli, a headstrong Tuscan leather-goods manufacturer who had his own factory. With Bertelli’s business-shark brain and Prada’s prescience for what the public didn’t yet know it craved, the brand’s revival wasn’t long in coming.
Dior takes the fourth place thanks to its online experiments, localisations for the Chinese market, exclusive collections, and premium beauty product line. Armani ranks tenth on our list.Armani, the privately-owned Italian luxury fashion house founded by Giorgio Armani in 1975, lost three points to rank number ten on our list of the best luxury brands online. Founded as a leather goods company over 100 years ago, graco jogging stroller has since transformed into one of the world’s most iconic fashion houses. Today the brand is helmed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, and in a true meeting of minds, collections mix Prada-isms with Raf-isms. Think uniform dressing, revived archive prints and the logo plaque taking center stage on signature nylon bags, chunky boots and Cloudbust sneakers. But, in general, luxury goods are worth it when you invest in timeless items that require true craftsmanship to be produced.
Forbes’ list is arguably more open to interpretation as they take into account several data points that are not necessarily consistently available for all brands. When combined with the actual sales figures from Deloitte’s reports, however, we were confident that we had a solid starting point. Luxury brands must lean in and transform themselves from a brand-centric, controlled and confidential model to a more transparent, engaging and customer-centric organisation. Delivering a timely and timeless form of meaningful value and empowering expressions of individual identities will widen the lead of the best performing luxury brands against the poor digital performers. The luxury industry’s sustainable efforts are under heavier scrutiny – reinforcing the need for the world’s best luxury brands to become more trustworthy by providing transparent information about their processes and products.
Mario’s daughter Luisa took over the business from her father, and in turn, her daughter Miuccia Prada, would take over for her in 1978. The company as we know it today has evolved under Miuccia Prada’s direction. Established in 1913 at Milan’s prestigious Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Prada is one of the world’s most iconic luxury fashion houses. Contemporary art and society inspire its collections, which are designed by visionary Miuccia Prada, granddaughter of founder Mario. In our definitive edit you’ll find opulent brocade dresses, utilitarian outerwear and quirky cult accessories. On December 10, 2009 Rina Bovrisse filed a lawsuit against Prada Japan accusing them of discriminating against women in the workplace who were not young and attractive.
In China, WeChat and Weibo dominate social conversations while fast-growing channels like RED and Douyin are becoming increasingly relevant for younger generations. New social media channels present new opportunities for luxury brands. After compiling this list of the 15 best luxury brands online in 2021, some key factors seem to support their online popularity.