Are flashy logos a no-go?
Luxury fashion houses are shying away from their iconic logos and monograms as understated, low-key fashions grow in popularity, the Telegraph reports.
Gucci is claiming that a focus on toned-down handbags like the “Jackie” has increased profits, the company tells the paper.
“Our groups are moving toward fewer logos, more discreet luxury,” PPR chairman Francois-Henri Pinault told the Telegraph.
“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.”
“There is a distinct trend for quieter discreet logos in a time of fashion that is altogether more pared down, quieter mood that has arisen from financially skittish times,” added Vogue UK fashion features editor Harriet Quick.
“We have moved through that era of everything being very noisy for the sake of it.”
The trend reportedly backs up a new study from the University of Southern California which found that well-off consumers prefer less ostentatious branding.
In other words, hit the road, Louis Vuitton monogram and double-C logo.
Instead, fashion insiders claim that shoppers are moving toward “more subtle” designers like Alexander Wang, or buying luxury bags with less flashy trademarks (such as Gucci‘s green and red stripes) rather than over-the-top logos, according to the Telegraph.
But in markets such as China and the Middle East, logos are still reportedly living large.
Phew. We’re all for toning it down, but there’s no way we’re painting our red Louboutin soles black.
Meanwhile, read about a new bill aimed at fighting designer knockoffs.