SONIA RYKIEL has outlined a new three-stage development strategy. The fashion house will focus on modernising the mainline ready-to-wear collection, repositioning the younger Sonia by Sonia Rykiel diffusion line and accessories production expansion, reports WWD.
The growth plans come alongside a period of significant change for the brand, now under the helm of new CEO Eric Langdon - who joined in April - and new majority owner Fung Brands Ltd. The fashion house is also awaiting the arrival of new creative director, Geraldo da Conceicao - previously Louis Vuitton's womenswear design director.
"The Rykiel woman is desirable, intense, playful and intelligent," said Langdon. "We want to emphasise the modernity of the Rykiel woman, not only in terms of this typically Parisian chic, but also in terms of values, which are now very modern and international."
The CEO has set the plans in motion by starting up a completely separate office for the Sonia by Sonia Rykiel contemporary label.
"Sonia by Sonia Rykiel was somewhat cannibalizing the main Sonia Rykiel line," he told WWD. "Customers were turning away from the main collection in favour of Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, because it was seen perhaps as a younger, more accessible and very qualitative expression of the values of Sonia Rykiel."
Alongside these plans, the label is also focusing on growing its leather goods production - the responsibility of new product and merchandising director Sophie Templier, who joined from Chloé - as well as the launch of a new e-commerce site in November 2013. Customers can expect to see more of an online presence from the brand for 2013.
"I want to implement a content-oriented digital strategy, because this house is very rich in content," said Langdon. "It has a lot of depth, and it's important we share this history on the web in a way that gives it a modern spin."
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