020: Luxury Off The Beaten Path

Luxury is embracing off the beaten path cities. We look at a few examples in second tier Centres of Gravity

By now, everyone one and their nan knows that localising your offer to markets can help build relevance. BUT many are not recognising the strategic opportunity that lies in second tier cities. Places that have traditionally been undervalued have time to develop their own flavour. Here are some examples of brands winning with off the beaten path experiences.

FASHION: Chanel Métiers d’Art Show in Manchester

The great and the good descended upon Manchester’s Northern Quarter in early December 2023 to take in Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show. This annual destination show features wares that are an homage to the small ateliers that Chanel owns. Previous locations for the show have been as exotic as Cuba and Dakar. This time the fashion press made much of the ‘contrast of grit and glamour’.

Attendees
Global jet set: Kristen Stewart, Sofia Coppola, Hugh Grant, Tilda Swinton
World reach: Sakura Andô (Japan), Rebecca Marder (France)
Local influence: Peter Savile, John Cooper Clarke, Karen Elson, Aitch, Bugzy Malone, assorted Gallagher kids
Football fashionistas: Luke Shaw, Curtis Jones

Brand Relevance
Gabrielle Chanel is said to have become acquainted with tweed fabric in Manchester, which is famously nicknamed ‘Cottonopolis’.

The Rollout
The show lent on Manchester’s strong pop-cultural identity. They put out a playlist which mashed up Madchester, Acid House and Punk. Sofia Coppola created a montage. The after party was even hosted at Salford Lads Club. The creative was rooted in retro, not surprising given that it’s Chanel, but they managed to offset the heavy nods to the past with bringing more contemporary influences into the guestlist like Aitch and Bugzy Malone.

The Bottom Line
The show raised a few local eyebrows for taking place amidst the backdrop of the cost of living crisis. Ultimately, though, it brought a lot of attention to Manchester. The show is estimated to have brought an £8m boost to the local economy.

ART: The Revitalisation of Chicago

Chicago is on the up. Especially the historically underprivileged South Side. A diverse collection of districts that is at the heart of African American culture. Art is playing a key role in this, especially with Theaster Gates’s Rebuild Foundation.

Key players
Creatives: Theaster Gates, Reunion Foundation, Virgil Abloh, Don C
Musical legacies: Chicago House, Chi-Town Hip Hop, Drill, Footwork, Ghetto House

Brand Relevance
Luxury brands are using Gates as a conduit to credibility. He has become a key collaborator for Prada. In 2021 Prada and Gates launched Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab. A three year initiative that serves as a launchpad for artists of colour. This is not a way for Prada to build a store in the hood. Instead it’s a way of them building relevance with a growing audience that identifies with South Side.

The Rollout
This is long-term work, and comes with long term commitments. There has been proper space making in Chicago. Gates has restored or repurposed plenty of resources for the commons, like Kenwood Gardens and Stony Island Arts Bank.

The Bottom Line
Building a community requires programming that keeps on going. Gates has been able to use his art to create spaces, but they still require people to actively use them on a day to day basis. You could put this under ‘engaged participation’ in his 9 principles of ethical redevelopment.

MUSIC: Dries Van Noten’s Artist Program comes to Chengdu

Okay, Chengdu is technically a ‘New Tier 1’ city, but regardless, it is a Centre of Gravity that western brands have traditionally misunderstood. There is a very distinct cultural identity in this vibrant Sichuanese city, which makes localisation a real treat. The music scene is especially strong there, with grassroots hip-hop and amazing techno clubs.

Collaborators
Dries Van Noten has chosen to work with true local scale collaborators with their artist program.
Zhai Yongming (poet), Feng Li (photographer), Mia Aim, AFLOU (musicians)

Brand Relevance
Dries is not treating China as a monolith, and is able to capitalise on local nuance, even though the design team is based far away in fashion’s most famed second tier city — Antwerp. The artists chosen fit the Dries aesthetic very naturally.

The Rollout
In order to navigate the local market whilst keeping a Dries sensibility they’ve used local curators, who have been keen to their strategy. They’ve found the right places to input local creative, whilst upholding the overall feel of the brand.

The Bottom Line
People move to Chengdu for the pace of life. It’s meant to be more leisurely, and as such attracts artists and creatives. This creativity has become a real draw. It gives the city something fresh. Watch for brands to keep popping up in Chengdu. Burberry just shot their Lunar New Year 2024 campaign in this city.

Things to Consider

Find how to work with curators
Finding curators who can help you see through the noise is essential.

Utilise different scales of influence
Bringing global names to second tier cities generates a buzz that travels.

Amplifying local to global
People are interested in local nuance when applied to a global framework.

Giving to local communities
For a brand to be remembered well, it has to give not just take.

Get involved. Participate!
It’s no use standing on the sidelines.