Once upon a time, luxury fashion brands had it made. Nowadays, though, fashion houses have to graft hard to get cash in hand. In an attempt to grab more sales, most have opted for increasingly elaborate shows, combining multimedia presentations and traditional runway showings. There’s always one to buck the trend, though – Clemens en August is proving it takes a business idea with a difference to succeed in the new economy.
What is Clemens en August?
Clemens en August is a German fashion brand that travels the world, setting up shop in temporary locations, known as pop-up stores. The brand is characterised by clean lines and classic designs, and emphasises high-quality products at competitive prices.
How does Fashion on Tour Work?
Typically, fashion brands showcase their new products each season at ‘the shows’, in the fashion capitals of the world – Paris, Milan, New York and London. From the runway, these latest styles are sold into luxury stores, and eventually filter down to the ‘high street’ (mass market stores). Realising that fashion is a fickle industry with an unwieldy value chain, Clemens en August founder, Alexander Brenninkmeijer decided to circumvent the system entirely – no labels, no runway shows, no advertising. Instead, he’s taken his show on the road. Clemens en August tours ten cities around the globe, several times a year. For three days only, the brand sells out of pop-up stores in art galleries, museums and other funky urban spaces, and relies completely on word-of-mouth and social media for promotion. Brenninkmeijer’s business idea significantly cuts costs by eliminating rent, runway shows, retailers and traditional advertising campaigns, and these savings are passed on to the consumer. The result – burgeoning sales and a cult following amongst fashionistas.
One other thing…we may be shifting to a world of online retail, but Clemens en August strictly forbids online sales – you have to be physically present at a pop-up store to get your hands on this hot unbranded brand!
For more inspiration…
Check out how these big brands are making use of quirky pop-up shops to boost sales:
- Illy – the coffee shop brand pops up in a crate…
- Prada – flogged its exclusive rags out of a temporary store in Paris
- eBay – hawks its wares out of a suitably cluttered space.
- Image courtesy of Clemens en August
