Harrods Man cover, Dior
British department store Harrods will spend October celebrating menswear on a number of different platforms.
Harrods Man “Cover to Cover” will highlight 12 looks by as many brands in the month of October, with additional labels providing exclusive and limited-edition pieces. The unclouded focus on menswear and culture, from products to in-store events, creates a number of touchpoints between the brand and its male consumers.
“Menswear is becoming a more important segment of the total fashion industry,” said Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Miami, FL. “Millennials are acquiring capital and wearing better apparel to prove it. There is a point when a boy becomes a man; the world can often tell by his clothing. “
Made to measure
Each of the 12 brands that have a featured look are given both a window in the department store and a cover of Harrods Man magazine, which, being digital-only, switches among them. The brands include Burberry, Armani, Tom Ford, Prada, Dior Homme, Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Brioni, among others.
Harrods Man Cover to Cover
In addition to the window displays, Harrods will also stock an exclusive capsule collection by Burberry, as well as Givenchy and Versace, among others. Exclusive items are a surefire way to attract brand enthusiasts, which in turn offers an opportunity to win over customers with great service.
Articles in the magazine include an interview with Kim Jones, artistic director of men’s collections at Louis Vuitton, a breakdown of trends ranging from wider pant legs to popular materials and graphics, an article on Brioni’s Roma 45 tailoring and a brief profile of Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and trailer for the new James Bond film, “Spectre,” elevating the issue from a look at menswear to masculine culture as a whole.
Harrods Man Cover to Cover, Burberry
The issue ties in with Harrods’ annual “Made to Measure” event, which took place over the weekend and saw tailors helping consumers find the best fitting apparel by Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Brioni and many more. Harrods encouraged consumers to book private appointments via email specifying a time and brand of choice, thereby giving power to the consumer.
Perhaps the primary product being pushed in the magazine is Paul Smith’s “A Suit To Travel In.” Harrods has posted a short video on its Facebook page, its Web site and in the magazine of Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Max Whitlock doing flips and pommel horse maneuvers in the suit to show the range of movement the garment permits.
Over the weekend, acrobats showed off that range in person for four full hours at Harrods.
Both the suit and the magazine are being promoted on social media with the hashtags #ASuitToTravelIn and #HarrodsMan, respectively with the hopes of generating enthusiasm among and engaging users.
Magnetic men
Harrods has previously put men front-and-center at its stores with a made-to-measure event.
In March of last year, the retailer hosted a made-to-measure event that brought together tailors from 13 menswear labels.
Consumers were able to schedule a one-on-one appointment with one of the tailors from brands including Tom Ford, Ermenegildo Zegna, Gucci, Brioni and Canali. Harrods as a retailer has the opportunity to offer a range of brands, making this event stand out in the made-to-measure landscape (see story).
Other retailers have also made a point to carve out a space for men.
For example, in June 2014, New York retailer Bergdorf Goodman reached out to fashion-savvy men through a new Instagram account separate from the main store profile.
Bergdorf Goodman launched its @Goodmans account at the beginning of the spring/summer 2015 menswear runway shows. Joining the existing male-specific Twitter account, this addition helps the department store connect with its male consumers on a more focused level (see story).
Harrods’ omnichannel approach this time around may spur connections.
“Anything less than omni-channel is high risk, M.r. Ramey said. “No one channel reaches a large enough audience to drive sales as generally desired.”
Final Take
Forrest Cardamenis, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
