Inside the rebranded Lanvin Group

█ First came the name, now the brand identity. Lanvin Group, the Shanghai-based company formerly known as Fosun Fashion Group, renamed itself in October and has now unveiled a new logo and look. The moves are part of a substantial restructuring of the business, including new investors, priming it for international growth.

LANVIN

The new logo — Lanvin Group in sans serif capitals — replaces the former group name in a simpler serif font. The website features its new identity as well as the group’s mission and values around creating an inclusive fashion ecosystem that “empowers heritage brands, nurtures diverse talents and celebrates ingenious ideas”. The rebranding has been in the works for almost half a year with a number of unnamed design agencies involved.

The changes accord with Lanvin Group’s commitment both to its heritage and its ambitions to be a leader in the global luxury market, says chairman Joann Cheng. “In the past, as Fosun Fashion Group, we were not so easily recognised — but if you say Lanvin Group, it is immediately understood,” she explains. “I hope our rebranding clearly shows who we are and our vision, which is to be the first luxury fashion group rooted in China and a manager of global brands.”

The history of Lanvin traces back to 1889 when Jeanne Lanvin founded the business, today the oldest operating French luxury couture house. Fosun International Ltd established its fashion group in 2017, acquiring Lanvin a year later. Its five-brand portfolio also includes Sergio Rossi, Wolford, St John Knits and Caruso, accounting for some 290 retail stores and 1,200 points of sale in more than 60 countries, according to the company.

The group’s new visual identity comes after last month's funding round where it raised about $150 million and brought on board as strategic investors Japan’s Itochu Corporation, a trading and textile company, and Chinese high-end footwear maker Stella International — as well as private equity firm Xizhi Capital.

Cheng is keen to use the investment to strengthen the group’s presence in the US as well as China where its penetration rate is low (only 10 per cent of revenues come from China, she says). She plans to optimise an omnichannel approach through partnering with platforms such as Farfetch, and boost its digital team by hiring more experts in key regions. Bricks-and-mortar will not be neglected: “A physical retail presence is still very important to keep the image of luxury brands. We want to open at least five or six more for each brand globally in the next year.”

Lanvin Group is also actively looking for further acquisitions. While past investments have mostly been “iconic brands with history and a strong identity”, Cheng is interested in exploring new categories, such as athleisure and beauty, and is also looking at fashion technology companies as possible targets.

Experts are upbeat about the emergence of a Chinese luxury group. “It seems that they’re really positioning themselves to go against the big European competitors like Kering and LVMH and they are starting to strategically build a portfolio of luxury brands, says Thomai Serdari, a professor of fashion and luxury marketing at New York University. “I think we will see more acquisitions in the short term, which is exciting, because I would like to see global competition. Luxury has been concentrated in Europe and we are seeing a reshuffling of the landscape.”

It’s a Chinese-owned business with a European name — judged a good move strategically by brand consultants. “By taking advantage of ‘Lanvin’, which is a French name, they are routing themselves into the world of luxury. Even the sound of the name is French and there is this immediate connection to luxury rather than to another Asian group,” observes Ana Andjelic, brand consultant and author of The Business of Aspiration. “It seems that they are turning a corporate entity into a luxury entity, something with heritage, history and story, and that’s really smart.”

A refresh of brand identity is a favourite means by which a luxury business can make a statement: in August 2018, Burberry unveiled a new logo and monogram five months after Riccardo Tisci became chief creative officer and nine months into then CEO Marco Gobbetti's five-year plan to reposition Burberry.

Change always carries risks. “The Burberry rebranding was very fashion-conscious and the new identity has a very contemporary aesthetic, but I worry that sort of logo will age quickly,” comments Serdari. “I cannot see the new Burberry logo surviving for more than 20 years.”

Lanvin Group's chairman Joann Cheng. LANVIN GROUP

Holding companies tend to be less high profile than brands in the public eye, but a strong name can change perceptions, says Andjelic. She points to LVMH, which stands for Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, as an example. “The name provides a link to the brands, even if it’s a perceived link.”

Some companies don't want that association. Tapestry, owner of Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, changed its name from Coach in October 2017 as a way to broaden its image and have a more corporate sounding ring, she notes. “It sounds more branded.”

Gucci and Balenciaga owner Kering was known as PPR until 2013, but changed its name to highlight the group's shift towards luxury. It also sounded like the English word ‘caring’ and referenced the company’s roots in Brittany, where Ker means home, to which the English suffix “ing” was added to invoke action, as the company explained at the time.

“These companies are signalling to the industry that they are going to have consistent quality, brand, promise, experience or whatever cues they want to conduct. In Lanvin Group’s case, the cue seems to be that they’re positioning themselves as a global luxury group with high-end brands in their portfolio,” says Andjelic.

Corporate success, however, isn’t guaranteed. “It’s going to take more than a name change for a luxury group to succeed,” comments Andjelic.

Lanvin Group’s journey has only just begun, acknowledges Cheng. “The group is four years old — we’re still so young and have already gone through a lot of acquisitions and operations enhancement.” She is thinking long-term: “Now is the time for us to give a clearer vision of the work we are doing, and to continue our journey with the brands we are committed to. There's a lot of room for us to grow.”