Coach is cool!

“Coach is cool.” That’s the mantra from Giorgio Sarne, President Coach International at the US leather goods maker, who speaks to MJ Rabbit about the company’s quest to transform itself into a luxury lifestyle brand under Executive Creative Director Stuart Vevers. Vevers was appointed in 2013, after a stellar stint at Spanish label Loewe, where he was credited with creating highly desirable leather goods. “We’ve had an amazing reaction to Stuart’s appointment,” confirms Sarne. “He has the ability to re-energise our heritage, history and craftsmanship. It’s very refreshing; he can bring back our history, and our glamorous past.”

Giorgio Sarne, President Coach International

New Coach 1941 label debuts in New York

Vevers has a very clear vision, says Sarne. “Coach is the original American house of leather, which creates an opportunity to be a cool, genuine authentic alternative to a European idea of luxury.”

So how does Coach define “cool”? “Stuart is inspired by New York and American workwear. Modern luxury is effortless, it’s about New York, style, urban, energy… It’s understated. It’s about showing your individuality. He’s adding a lot of fashion to the brand. We held our first women’s fashion show in New York in September and we will continue in this direction.”

In a major development, the company presented its Coach 1941 collection, a new luxury label, at its first-ever full catwalk show in September. The Spring/Summer 16 collection, comprising bags and ready-to-wear, with a particular focus on outerwear, has received positive feedback, says Sarne, and the products will be arriving in-store soon. The bags, such as the Saddle bag, draw on Coach’s archives with a twist of original inspiration, but the apparel is an all-new venture for the leather goods brand.

Why launch ready-to-wear? Sarne is clear. “If you want to be a modern luxury lifestyle brand, you need the full expression of your world. The Coach 1941 collection has a distinctive design and is an elevated expression of our brand, at a slightly higher price, but still an approachable price. It’s an exploration of what Coach can be and a platform for innovation, and it speaks to very fashionable consumers. It’s still Coach, but it completes our offering.”

Coach Swagger Carryall

Travel retail plays a major role in strategy

Sarne is eager to emphasise the brand’s past – words like heritage, history, archives are frequently repeated with relish – and the company itself is keen to celebrate its 75th anniversary, which falls in 2016. In fact, the celebrations have already started. The New York runway show in September was the beginning, and very ambitious plans lie ahead. “We want to reinforce the idea that Coach is cool,” enthuses Sarne.

On retail expansion, the priority will be on the US, China, Europe, while continuing to invest in all the other countries where it is present. Sarne calls the strategy “360-degree investment”, in which marketing, product design and stores all get the transformative treatment. For the latter, the consumer’s in-store experience will be a particular focus. “We want to deliver a unique, personal experience in-store.”

Speaking to MJ Rabbit at the TFWA World Exhibition in October 2015, where Coach showcased its Spring/Summer 2016 collection to travel retail buyers, Sarne confirms that travel retail plays a major role in its strategy. “Travel retail is a continent by itself and it’s key for us. The potential is huge when you see the evolution of tourism and the predictions for the next five or ten years. Travellers are curious, educated, and we want excellent service in these stores – the same level of quality and service as in domestic locations.”

Coach already has a strong travel retail presence in Asia, notably China, Japan, South Korea and southeast Asia, and is set to boost its footprint “at a good rate” in the US, and now in Europe, where Sarne sees very high potential. A Coach boutique recently began trading in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, an important milestone for the brand.

Coach Ace Satchel in natural calf leather - burgundy

The global consumer is important now

Across the operation, Sarne also sees further huge potential in the men’s business, which he describes as “unbelievable – a great business”. “We’re a leader in the men’s business and we have ambitious plans that are already happening.”

Turning to consumers, Sarne confirms that the Chinese customer is an important part of the business, but he emphasises that this high-spending group is not the only good customer. “Japanese and Americans are very important, and we have new, emerging consumers, such as southeast Asians, Indians and Europeans. What’s important now is the global consumer.”

Under Vevers, the new product pipeline is in full swing. For 2015/16, Sarne cites four key bags with fresh, updated designs: the Coach Swagger statement bag, marketed with a “What’s your swagger?” campaign in line with its confident, swaggering attitude; the Ace satchel collection – “a fantastic expression of the Coach vision”; the soft, slouchy Coach NoMad Hobo bag; and the Shadow Crossbody bag in a saddle bag shape with chain strap. The patchwork design in the latter model features rip-and-repair stitching, a feature of American baseball gloves. Sarne loves this level of detail.

Coach NoMad Hobo in natural calf leather - butterscotch

Social media "extremely important"

Regarding the company’s performance in the first half, Sarne says Coach is growing its market share in many regions. “In the international market we’re performing very well in many regions of the world – both domestic and tourist markets.”

As Coach sets out to spread its fresh brand message, social media is “extremely important”, asserts Sarne. The company uses all the major social sites, including Line in Japan. Coach now has more than 2m fans on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo and 100,000-plus on WeChat. “We can reach consumers one-to-one and have a real connection with them. We can quickly inform them about our stories and heritage. It’s a way of communicating in an authentic and direct way as we share every part of our world.”

Speaking about his expectations for performance in 2015 and beyond, Sarne says that Coach is investing in the future of the brand as its long-term strategy, with investments across the board in stores, products, markets, and innovations. Coach is in the process of renovating its fleet of stores in line with Vevers’ vision. “We’re implementing a global transformation and we’re happy with what we’re seeing.”

Furla flourishes in shift to "premium luxury"

A lot has happened in the fashion industry since I last spoke with Furla’s CEO Eraldo Poletto two years ago. The Chinese economic slowdown and currency woes, to name just two burning issues of the moment. But Poletto is his usual cheerful and ebullient self when we sit down at the TFWA World Exhibition in October to discuss Furla’s stellar progress. The Italian lifestyle brand ended 2014 with a turnover of €262m and, since the beginning of the year, the company has opened 39 stores. Impressively, Furla closed the first half of 2015 with turnover up 30% compared with last year, with Japan as the brand’s biggest market.

Furla CEO Eraldo Poletto

New York flagship "one step ahead"

In October, a Japanese flagship began trading in Ginza, Tokyo, following a September opening at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The latest major flagship has just opened its doors on Fifth Avenue, New York (51st Street), a store that Poletto describes as “one step ahead” for Furla, boasting a prominent façade on the busy shopping thoroughfare. And in November 2015, Furla is opening at two more key locations: Hong Kong’s Mira Mall and Rome’s Piazza di Spagna.

Furla now boasts some 192 travel retail locations, with 200 forecast by the end of the year. Poletto is clear about how he wants the stores to look. “The stores must be personalised to create a proper customer experience, so we will close a few locations between now and mid-2016, as it’s important to have the proper space and adjacencies.”

The Korean duty free market – a sales phenomenon for some luxury bag brands such as MCM – is managed directly by Furla. The company’s business at Seoul Incheon airport Is “doing very well and it will get better”, he says.

Furla Metropolis crossbody bag

Moving to "premium luxury"

Poletto does not seem overly concerned about the currency situation but acknowledges that the foreign-exchange headwinds create uncertainty. He is forging ahead with his strategy of “borrowing from the luxury industry what is beautiful, and the creativity in design and quality” and then offering “a great product at a great price” in stores that boast excellent customer service. He notes that Furla is moving from “premium” to “premium luxury” and the strategy is paying off. The company has made big investments in marketing and communications. From Spring/Summer 2015 onwards, star photographer Mario Testino is shooting the brand’s ad campaigns.

Poletto describes Furla as a “made-in-Italy, joyful, contemporary Italian lifestyle brand” that is eclectic in its use of colours. He cites the Metropolis as a very successful bag. This crossbody model is “a lot of fun and is very well made by a great team”.

Turning to the competition, Poletto admits that rivalry has become stiffer in the premium, affordable luxury end of the market thanks to Michael Kors, Coach, Tory Burch, Kate Spade and others. “I love competition. What’s different is our level of product; it’s made in Italy and is a step up from the other brands,” he enthuses. “We are the only made-in-Italy premium brand in accessories.”

Furla Artesia bag

VIP-level customer service

Despite the Chinese slowdown, which is hitting some luxury brands hard, Furla continues to generate double-digit growth within Greater China, but Poletto has noticed that fewer mainland Chinese are visiting Hong Kong and instead are travelling to Japan and Europe. However, he adds: “Our business in Hong Kong is important and is going very well.”

As Furla heads for €300m in annual turnover, the strategy now is to step up the customer conversion rate, including the number of units sold per head, with VIP-level customer service at the heart of its operations. Eraldo Poletto is a very happy man indeed.

Buoyant Bric's boosts retail footprint

Bric’s is continuing its retail growth strategy, and last year saw good results, boosted by greater visibility for the Italian travel goods brand. Product innovations are also helping in its expansion. “The Bellagio collection is really changing the face of our brand,” says Bric’s travel retail manager Michele Maccapani, referring to the framed range, introduced last year. “We’re getting bigger number of requests for luggage with this look.” Luggage sales are increasing a lot, with the US as the top market. Turnover is also strong in the UK, Germany, France, and the Asian market in general. “In China, we have a great opportunity to do something,” he says.

The new Bric's store in Macau

New camouflage backpack

Meanwhile, Bric’s is noting major changes in business product trends. Smaller briefcases, for example, are now more popular, along with backpacks. The brand’s signature Life range features two backpack sizes and boasts a new camouflage colour, in line with fashion trends. Maccapani puts the backpack’s success down to the fact that it can carry a laptop while enabling the wearer to be hands-free. “It’s a very urban, green product that you can take on a bike.” The Life backpack retails at around €250.

Maccapani is clear about why Bric’s is successful. “Bric’s is complementary to other brands. We have a new store in Milan Malpensa airport, for example, which we share side by side with Tumi, and it’s located near the gates for Chinese and US flights. We can replicate that in other airports. We are finding that the turnover is split half and half for Bric’s and Tumi.”

Bric's has launched a camouflage print backpack

Asia expansion continues

This year, the company has forged important new relationships with Nuance and Dufry, so the brand has seen steady retail growth in airport locations such as Zurich (landside), Geneva, Basel, Sochi, St Petersburg and Hamburg. Bric’s recently featured in Dufry Fashion Week, held at airports across the US, Asia and Europe.

Asia is “always” a focus for the brand, says Maccapani. Bric’s opened a store in Macau in August 2015 at The Venetian Hotel, where the company sold 70 pieces in one week. In mainland China, the company has begun trading in many locations, such as Shenzhen (at the Wongtee Plaza) and Wuhan, and in Taiwan, Taipei, Taichung and Tainan (at T.S. Dream Mall). The Philippines is another growth area, after the company signed up a new distributor for the duty free market. Bric’s is scheduled to open in Manila airport Terminal 3 and in Cebu in December 2015.

In Malaysia, the company has a presence with Eraman. Bric’s is not yet trading at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport but is opening in department stores this December.

The high-shine Bellagio Metallo in Dark Brown

New product innovations

Bellagio Metallo is the name of the new luggage collection, which was displayed at the TFWA World Exhibition in October 2015. Classic, retro-style silhouettes are redesigned using new ultra-light, durable materials. Billed as “discreet luxury”, this polycarbonate collection is enhanced with Tuscan leather trim and thoughtful details. The new-concept ultra-light trolley with aluminium frame is the most advanced in terms of looks and performance. The frame, locks and details are designed to satisfy the most demanding traveller. The trolley features 360-degree Japanese-made spinning wheels. Bellagio Metallo is offered in two high-shine colours that give a stronger look thanks to the aluminium frame: Silver and Dark Brown.

The company’s popular XTravel and XBag are renewed seasonally with colours that bring new life to the two travel collections. The colour palette for Spring/Summer 2016 includes warm caramel, cool grey and pastel colours such as cornflower and lilac. Carry-on colours are navy, black and olive green and red. The trim is tan leather.

Bric’s is also introducing a special collection to celebrate the arrival of spring and summer, featuring an explosion of flowers in a burst of bright colours. This XTravel XBag Special Collection is made of very light, Italian-made nylon.

Davidoff fills time beautifully in Cannes

Hundreds of guests descended on Oettinger Davidoff AG’s Master’s Evening during the TFWA World exhibition in Cannes to enjoy a night of cigar pleasure. For this year's party, Fauchon, Flor de Caña, Neuhaus and Davidoff invited 300 guests to the Plage du Festival on the city’s famous Croisette. In the spirit of "Time Beautifully Filled" – Davidoff’s marketing tagline – the guests enjoyed a culinary soirée with delicious pralines and chocolates, Madeleines, typical French fingerfood and excellent sweet and spicy rum cocktails. Davidoff’s new Brazilian cigar line, Escurio, was celebrated with an exciting sensory experience inspired by the rhythms, intrigue and rich culture of a night in Rio de Janeiro.

Davidoff CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard 

Gaining market share

After the party, MJ Rabbit caught up with Davidoff’s CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard to find out how the company is faring in the world of luxury cigars. Although upbeat in general, Hoejsgaard admits that times are tougher this year compared to 2014. “It’s clear that it’s not as rosy as last year but we are doing better than our competitors and we are gaining market share. But it’s not as robust as 2014. We’ve had a good run with new launches. Our retail footprint has expanded and that has helped. The category is not growing, but the success of our retail concept has a category effect.”

Hoejsgaard and his team are looking forward to opening Davidoff’s seventh humidor in travel retail, in Frankfurt – the first such installation outside Zurich and its first in the European Union. The 15sq m walk-in humidor, operated in collaboration with its “long-standing and important” partner Gebr Heinemann, will begin trading in December 2015. To mark the opening, Davidoff has created a Heinemann Travel Retail Limited Cigar Edition that will be for sale in the new humidor. And for visitors who don’t own a humidor, there will be a chance to win one after the opening. The company’s 40-year partnership with Heinemann has been particularly successful in Hong Kong and Zurich, adds Hoejsgaard, and he believes it has given the entire category a boost.

A rendering of the new walk-in humidor at Frankfurt airport

Dubai Duty Free promotion

Another new project that Hoejsgaard is excited about is a retail space offering a selection of Davidoff cigars in the VIP area of Munich airport.

In terms of potential new markets, Hoejsgaard has earmarked the Middle East as the next target region for development, in addition to the brand’s more established markets such as Asia, Europe and New York.

In December 2015, the company is staging a promotion at Dubai International Airport for its new Escurio cigar, having been given a “wonderful, fantastic space” by Dubai Duty Free, where Davidoff can build on its success. Other successful promotions have taken place in Frankfurt and Hamburg airports this year. At the latter airport, Davidoff now has a backwall space, giving increased brand visibility.

Turning to the subject of Cuba, Hoejsgaard declares “Davidoff is ready to return” to the market, but believes the earliest date for that eventuality would be 2019, depending on the next US President. Hoejsgaard explains that Davidoff left the market in 1989 because of quality issues, so the company has three conditions before it returns: Davidoff must be in charge of growing its own tobacco; it must control the rolling of the final product; and it must be responsible for quality control. 

Martini F1 car thrills travellers at Milan airport

Bacardi launched a dynamic Formula 1-themed activation for its Martini sparkling wine brand throughout September at Milan Malpensa airport’s Terminal 1, where a Williams Martini Racing car enthralled passengers. As the main travel hub for the 125,000 motor racing fans attending the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix on September 6, Malpensa provided a concentrated target audience for Martini – the number one selling sparkling wine in global travel retail, according to International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR).

A Williams Martini Racing car at Milan Malpensa airport

Stopping people in their tracks

The activation for Martini, the principal partner of Williams Martini Racing, was prominently positioned in the main departures passenger route, right at the entry into the main retail area, where a branded sampling bar served Martini Prosecco and Martini Asti.

Ian Rollason, marketing manager rum at Bacardi Global Travel Retail, said: “This activation expressed the powerful synergies that exist between two powerful brands, Martini and Williams Martini Racing, particularly in their shared global appeal and their mutual resonance with a modern luxury lifestyle. We exploited a fantastic position in a location with high traffic volumes and the stunning car stopped people in their tracks, enabling our brand ambassadors to engage directly with them, creating a unique and memorable experience of their time at Malpensa.”

The longstanding relationship between Martini and motorsport began in 1968 with the creation of Martini Racing and the brand has since become synonymous with the glamour of lifestyle events around motor racing.

The presence of Martini in Milan this summer was also amplified by the brand’s sponsorship of Milan Expo (May-October 2015), including the remarkable Terrazza Martini, created by Italian design firm Pininfarina.

Jameson introduces Bold, Lively and Round

Irish whiskey brand Jameson unveiled plans for its first ever global travel retail exclusive range of super-premium whiskeys at the TFWA World Exhibition in October 2015. The Jameson Deconstructed Series deconstructs key notes from the world-renowned Jameson Original and uses them as the base for three new whiskeys: Bold, Lively and Round. The series will be available from 2016 exclusively to the global travel retail channel, retailing at €36 per bottle.

Anna Malmhake, CEO of Pernod Ricard-owned Irish Distillers, said it was the first ever Jameson range to be exclusive to global travel retail. “We wanted to give consumers around the world the opportunity to journey into the beautiful and multifaceted world of our whiskey, wherever they might be. The Deconstructed Series has everything that our consumers know and love about Jameson. The series invites our consumers to experience Jameson in a new way, exploring our defining characteristics.”

Jameson Deconstructed Series

Three innovative taste experiences

In the Deconstructed Series, the Jameson Original components have been deconstructed and reconstructed, allowing individual taste characteristics to be amplified in their own distinctive blend. The series includes three brand new distinctive whiskey styles:

Bold, influenced by pot still whiskey, is an intense and robust whiskey, with a strong hit of spices. Initially sweet and creamy, with an abundance of soft fruits, the pot still spices develop to bring a balance of rich barley notes and mellow baked apple.

Lively, influenced by grain whiskey, offers an elegant and floral taste combined with a citrus lightness. Its soft and sweet taste, drawn from perfume bon-bons alongside Turkish delight, combines with drying hints of citrus to balance the sweetness. A little chilli oil brings a prickle of spices to the mouth.

Round, influenced by the wood contribution, is a balance of rich and plump charred tones. Sweet vanilla fuses with soft ripe fruit and, together, combines with the rich pot still spices on a firm foundation of toasted oak.

Brian Nation, Jameson Master Distiller, enthused: “It’s fascinating to be able to deconstruct Jameson Original and create three entirely new whiskeys. Each of the new expressions in the series has its own individual characteristics that are amplified in a unique way. By doing this, we get to unveil three innovative taste experiences.”

Christopher Ward has its finger on the pulse

UK watch brand Christopher Ward has launched its first specialist model for the medical sector: the C9 Pulsometer Limited Edition Chronometer. The company was inspired by English watchmaker Samuel Watson, who, some three centuries before personal electronic devices began monitoring our health, pioneered one of the world’s first stopwatches to measure the pulse. Years later, the first pulsometer models were introduced in the early 20th century.

Christopher Ward's C9 Pulsometer

Caduceus symbol on the second hand

Christopher Ward’s C9 Pulsometer is powered by a COSC-certified version of the self-winding Sellita SW200/1 movement, which guarantees accuracy to within -4/+6 seconds a day. The 40mm C9 case is constructed, “rather aptly”, of surgical grade stainless steel, the company says. The movement can be seen working through the screw-down transparent back-plate.

The tachymeter-style pulsometer scale of the dial is calibrated for 30 heart beats and both its red colour and the corresponding simplicity of the remainder of the dial make for an aesthetically pleasing and easy to read display. The watch has blued steel hour and minute hands but it is the hacking second hand with its caduceus symbol – a global symbol of medicine – used on the counter-balance design that exemplifies Christopher Ward’s attention to detail. In Greek mythology Asclepius represents medicine and healing, but it's the caduceus insignia (used on Hermes’ staff) that has become widely used as the symbol of medicine worldwide.

Mike France, co-founder of Christopher Ward, said: “As shown by the extensive acclaim for our recently launched C9 Moonphase, we are always delighted to demonstrate our ability to innovate and address a range of specialist watch types, but the new C9 Pulsometer does also specifically address the needs of our customers. The medical profession represents a perhaps surprisingly strong demographic (around 2%) among followers of our brand and I am confident that they, and other watch fans, will appreciate the elegant blend of design and practicality in this beautiful, high quality timepiece.”

The C9 Pulsometer is released in a limited edition of 250 pieces, retailing at £699 on a leather strap (black or brown) with Bader deployment, and £799 on a stainless steel bracelet, exclusively from www.christopherward.co.uk.

In separate news, Christopher Ward recently showcased its best-selling watches at the Wind-Up: New York City independent watch fair, which took place in SoHo from October 23 to 25. Wind-Up: New York City was organised by worn&wound, whose goal is to break down the atmosphere of exclusivity and help make great watches accessible to the average consumer. This was Christopher Ward's first-ever pop-up in NYC.