The response of the brands is there for all to see: we are cultural companies. We go beyond the product. We build emotional narratives that must create new connections. We invest in cultural productions and broaden our horizons to third places. How and why, Francesco Morace (Future Concept Lab) explains
by Massimiliano Viti
Fashion brands or cultural companies? The line is getting thinner and thinner due to the evolution of consumption and, consequently, of the fashion houses themselves. The designer product has not only lost importance in favour of investments more directed toward emotional resonance and cultural identity, but has become almost irrelevant if the brand fails to enhance its customer base. The brand is, therefore, called upon to go beyond aesthetics, product quality and functionality. It must broaden its vision and embrace emotional storytelling so as to create new connections or strengthen existing ones, investing in cultural production rather than appropriating it. Moral: Emotional resonance and cultural depth are now key elements in dialoguing with young people.
Are we designer labels or cultural companies?
For example, through its Foundation, Prada Group is multiplying its cultural initiatives. Prada Frames is the annual multidisciplinary symposium that aims to explore the relationship between the natural environment and design. Miu Miu, another group brand, gives its name to the Literary Club, which was designed to develop dialogue with contemporary thought. Also notable are the investments in the cinema industry. First, with the Godard Cinemas, reviews of arthouse or cult films from the past were screened (successfully) in the Foundation’s spaces.
Now, with the establishment of the Prada Film Fund, an annual fund of 1.5 million euros to support young filmmakers and independent cinema. “Prada has developed the aura of being a group close to the world of art and culture, showing creativity both on the catwalks and away from them,” observes Francesco Morace, president of Future Concept Lab and FCL do Brasil, which has been working in the field of social and market research for more than 30 years. “This aura is the fruit of a consistent path made over the years, and by it, Prada has spread a collective conversation and a sense of belonging to a cultural movement that consumers amplify on social media. I believe that behind the investments made, there is also Miuccia Prada’s personal passion, with the result that before, art was reserved for the elite, but now, it is for everyone.”
Intercepting the consumer outside the store
Today, the success of brands is measured not only in stores and at checkout but also outside, in third places, as sociologist Ray Oldenburg defined them in 1989. Home is the first place, work is the second, and spaces dedicated to community life are the third. In other words, those where it is possible to meet new people and be part of a community. Fashion has, therefore, learned to intercept the consumer outside the store, in areas and spaces designed for community.
The new fashion narratives
But are we looking at initiatives designed to elevate the brand and make it more popular or created to make a cultural imprint? “The two go hand in hand. It is just a matter of marketing or positioning trivial. The truth is that you are broadening the horizon of brands,” Morace observes. “In past years, the consumer has become a consumer-actor, but now, they have turned into a consumer-author. Each of us feels unique; we all believe we are authors and talk about it on social media.
When we shop, the purchase criteria are no longer just product, quality, price and exclusivity. There is our creativity because we choose the things we are most in correspondence with. We also draw on art to select them. The wardrobe is no longer a mere collection of clothes but of art objects. Consumption, then, is no longer passive,” Morace concludes, “but active. At the act of buying, we elaborate a vision based on our personality and attitude.”
Cultivating human and spiritual connections
The quintessence of a brand is thus to establish an emotional, distinctive and deep connection, recognizing that engaging in cultural awareness is tantamount to cultivating human and spiritual connections. Groups and brands are constantly investing in this direction. Last year, LVMH launched 22 Montaigne Entertainment, a new division dedicated entirely to creating television, audio, and film content for the brands in its galaxy. Kering founded Saint Laurent Productions, which has quickly become a benchmark in the international film world.
For example, thanks to brilliant projects such as Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, and David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds. Valentino supported the Beijing Film Academy’s Forward Future section at the 15th Beijing International Film Festival to deepen its cultural footprint and translate the concept of “fashion as narrative” into the local context. Dior has been collaborating with the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) as an official partner since 2020. The LVMH brand does not see cinema as a new traffic channel or marketing opportunity. It “uses” it to promote the brand’s feminist tradition, focusing on the cultural, artistic and value aspects of the seventh art from a deeper perspective, reflecting a universal humanistic responsibility.
Cultural platforms
“Among the various arts, cinema is undoubtedly the favourite of brands because it has the advantage of being a cultural platform. Within it, music, photography, storytelling with literary references, etc., coexist. So it offers many spaces to explore,” Morace explains. In addition to cinema, which remains the preferred cultural vehicle, the brands fund exhibitions, cultural events, but also “community trips.” These are the trips organized and offered to clients and members of their community, as well as evenings of music and entertainment (A|X Armani Exchange signed a party at the Plastic Club in Milan).
In addition, there are also some designer labels that have appropriated some third locations through collaborations. We mention the collaboration between Missoni and Delta Airlines to customize a series of travel accessories. Or that of Jacquemus, which designed pajamas for Air France‘s first-class passengers. In Rome and Florence, the Hotel St. Regis has a suite furnished in Bottega Veneta‘s iconic woven style. In some ways, Milan Design Week also represents a third venue for fashion brands because, by collaborating with designers, architects and artists on immersive installations and free exhibitions, it is able to reach consumers without the need to enter a store.
Why third places?
“Fashion houses are increasingly turning to this dimension in order to distinguish and qualify their offerings. This is why collaborations with artists, creatives, including young ones, who offer their point of view, are flourishing,” Morace comments. “All this is fueled by young people, who are much more consumer-authors than previous generations. The fashion game,” Morace concludes, “is already being played on a broader field that is art and culture. This phenomenon will deepen and develop further for the next 10 to 15 years.”
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