“Investing in a brand is often sort of like picnicking in April: everything will be sunny for a while, but an inexplicable and sudden downpour will ruin everything. But like the wonder that is a perfect spring picnic, the allure of a luxury brand’s success will still draw investors despite the perils.” -fashionista.com
1. The Best Brand: Hermès
Hermès has been one of the most successful luxury brands on the planet, so it’s no surprise to me it made the top of the list. Even though the brilliant minds of Hermès combine all the elements of timeless, modernism, leather and silk into their brand,what sets them at the top is scarcity. Hermès products are very limited, which means they’re valuable.
2. The Lifestyle Brand: Monocle
Monocle has become very well known in recent years and they’re on their way to the top. Tyler Brûlé, led many to believe he was starting a magazine, when he’s really been busy building a brand. The magazine, described as “Foreign Policy meets Vanity Fair,” sells everything from fashions to furniture.
“The best brands are the ones that have the richest, deepest content–history, emotion, ideas–attached to them. And of course, a smart, innovative, beautiful magazine is the absolute best way to build a very powerful brand, by conveying a message about a certain lifestyle – a lifestyle that Monocle products, conveniently advertised in the middle of the magazine, happen to embody.”
The way the Monocle business works:
-They charge more for subscriptions than it would cost to buy each, individual magazine with the agreement to get a backstage pass to the website. Interesting, right!?
-They scored on an amazing group of employees that had been laid off at other companies due to the recession.
-Opening Monacle shops with a solid strategy.
-Working with smaller brands outside the magazine allows them to stay a magazine and not just carry the title of being a lifestyle luxury brand, even though that’s what they are.This also allows them to maintain a sweet portfolio.
3. The Watch Brand: Linde Werdelin
Yes Linde Werdelin is a newer brand of luxury sports watches, but they’ve changed the game with the little time it’s been around. Outside of being mechanical watches, they’re also devices, called Instruments. They have clips on top of the watch for different reasons including compute functions and helping you with climbing mountains. What a useful way of wearing a luxury sports watch!
Instead of having a a website, LW has a blog featured on Tumblr.com and shares pictures, videos and stories. They also carry a series of comic books. So random!
LW watches are limited editions, so look into them and please be smart and invest in one
4. A female obsession: Lacroix
Lacroix has a very creative mind and makes beautiful clothes, but went bankrupt in the recession because he’s not a very good businessman. I smell an opportunity, don’t you? With the right people on his team and the eye that he has, it will only be a matter of time until he builds an empire. Who knows, maybe even one day he’ll kick Chanel off the runway! I will definitely be there to see that!
5. The Perfume Brand: Guerlain
Guerlain is the oldest perfume house in France probably the greatest perfume house in the world. They have employees that have been with the company since before we were probably born, while most fragrances have people freelance. Guerlain is the only brand to retain its own in-house team for this work.
Guerlain closely chose a few stores in Paris to sell their products as apposed to selling at Sephora and are going back in time and re-issuing their historic fragrances. Has the market passed them by? Is what once seemed timeless now just old? I don’t thinkGuerlain has to do is appeal to a younger market. Let’s see what happens.
6. The Wine Brand: Clos-Vougeot
Legends have invested in Bordeaux wine, even Bernard Arnault from Hermes. Bordeaux has historically attracted more tourism from England, which gave them endless sales!
Clos-Vougeot is traditionally recognized as the best among the best Burgundy reds. It’s the smallest wine domain in Burgundy,which obviously means it’s not easy to come across, so theirfore their is tons of value there! If they only advertise more, they can go global and be huge!
