affluent men shopping online more
luxury menswear
 
Luxury menswear is leading the trend and growing at a rate of about 14% per year, according to a new study.
 
"The Affluent Male: What His Online Behavior Can Teach Luxury Brand Marketers," released last week by iProspect, shows the online preferences and behaviors of affluent males – including device, advertising, research, shopping and brand preferences.

According to the study, there are 19 million affluent males (age 18 and older) with a household income of at least $100,000 on the Internet and 40% of the respondents to the study indicated that they are shopping online at least twice a week. And those who are shopping multiple times are spending more than $30,000 annually.

"The old adage that men hate to shop is being upended by the digital experience. Not only are affluent men shopping online more, but this demographic is doing extensive research, shopping and then purchasing online, which provides advertisers with multiple touch points to reach him. Understanding the habits of the high-end consumer allows iProspect to help our clients develop well-integrated digital campaigns that connect with this audience and deliver results," said Robert Murray, Global CEO, iProspect.

 
Affluent shopping
{image: iProspect}
 

According to the study, 70% of affluent males prefer to research and buy online rather than researching online and purchasing in store. And they are adopting a multi-channel approach to accessing the internet. 
  • The vast majority (91%) access a PC at least once daily, while seventy-seven percent have a mobile smartphone and 50 percent own a tablet.
  • Engagement with these devices is high across the board - almost 100 percent of survey respondents report using their PCs and mobile smartphones at least daily and 85% reporting daily use of tablets.
  • When an affluent male has daily access to tablet, he is 32 percent more likely to have made a purchase via the device.
  • In terms of visibility, 71 percent have seen ads on a PC while one in three have seen ads on a mobile phone or tablet.

"By all indications, this segment has untapped purchasing power which can and will trickle down to non-luxury brands," said Murray. "The best digital marketing strategies integrate practices across all channels. For brand managers, knowing how to effectively communicate to affluent men will a key factor to success in an increasingly digital world."
 
The research also showed that 84% of those surveyed make purchases for themselves, with the most-searched categories including travel, accessories, apparel and automobiles. Within the affluent demographic, this study contradicts the cornerstone of She-conomics – which advocates that women account for 85% of all consumer purchases and represent the majority of the online market.
 
As we track the growth opportunities within the menswear category, alongside purchasing trends, it’s apparent that these new findings represent an alteration to the online fabric. More and more, it's the visual storytelling and consistent holistic messaging that attract appeal.
 
{source: iProspect}
 
social mobile gifting
May the fourth be with you...
 
CULTURE
 
 
  • Wrapp brings social mobile gifting service to the U.S. via Tech Crunch.
  • The iPad revolutionizes iconic Hotel Bel-Air's room service via USA Today.
  • Hue-tastic: Big Apple's new taxis are 'apple green' via New York Post.
 
FASHION
 
FOOD
  • Feast your eyes on the Pretzelnator, the first crowdsourced burger at McDonald's via Ad Week.
  • What's hot on food trucks: Portable, customizable, and innovative dishes via Nation's Restaurant News.
  • Email rules social media, even for fans via Restaurant Hospitality.
 
 
Vahram Muratyan for Prada
Italian luxury brand Prada has teamed up with Paris-based Iranian illustrator Vahram Muratyan for its "Parallel Universe" project which launched today on Prada.com.
 
Exclusively for this collaboration, Muratyan created a number of animated graphics featuring many of the sixties-inspired summer accessories. The illustrations can seen on a capsule T-shirt collection which will soon be available in Prada flagships worldwide, according to WWD. Personally, we are loving the visuals accompanying the Rocket shoes and Pyramide bag.
 
Muratyan X Prada
{Image via Prada.com}
 
Parallel Universes
{Image via Prada.com}
 
The collaboration between fashion and art has become a mainstay at retail as brands seek new ways integrating collections with new media. Last summer we were fortunate enough to view Muratyan's work, a friendly visual match between Paris and New York also featured in the book "Paris vs. New York", at Colette.
 
Interesting, meaningful, and relevant stories amidst a labyrinth of information...
 
FOOD
{Photo: griottes.fr}
 
 
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FASHION
 
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CULTURE
  • Emerging trends: "gym-as-nightclub" {NYTimes}
  • Sad Statistics: 82% of Facebook brand pages updated less than five times per month. {Econsultancy}
  • Story of the Titanic is being live-tweeted in build up to its 100-year anniversary. {The Next Web}
 
From fairground carrousel to the pastel pink paradise of an ice cream parlor — Louis Vuitton Artistic Director Marc Jacobs offers up very soft and sickeningly sweet imagery in the Spring Summer 2012 Ad Campaign. We're completely taken by the mouth-watering array of Chantilly-topped sundaes continuing the narrative of the fashion show.
 
 
Sadly, a heavy dose of escapism is not in our nature.
 
Could this be the French version of Serendipity 3 in New York? A reimagined corner of the store of our dreams: La Pâtisserie des Rêves? Or perhaps it's a nod to Fauchon in Paris? The setting in the campaign is keeping us enthralled with Jacobs vision.
 
Share your ideas on the mystery idealistic ice cream parlor on twitter: @trendscaping
 
Big news, better selection, best thinking.
 
CULTURE
{photo: springwise.com}
 
- A new twist on conscious consumption: A vending machine that allows users to donate and receive items without spending money.
- Pop-up art: A 24-hour museum, designed by Milan-based artist and satirist Francesco Vezzoli with Rem Koolhaas' think tank AMO, which will pop-up for one day (January 24th).
 
 
FASHION
- The world's top 100 most valuable luxury brands includes fashion favorites Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Ferragamo, Versace, Prada, Fendi, Giorgio Armani and Ermenegildo Zegna.
- US study finds holiday shoppers purchased more but browsed less in stores (part of Smart Commerce trend)
- The truth about eCommerce: 55% of consumers expect free shipping.
 
FOOD
- Mainstreaming canned foods at the Winter Fancy Food show: Healthy cocktail mixers & pickled veggies are top products. (We've been writing about this trend since 2009)
- High-value & Low-waste perception + Jamie Oliver = boost frozen food sales by £250M in UK.
- Fighting low-carbs and gluten-free with design: the rise of the designer bakery.
 
 
For more delicious news, ideas and tidbits, follow us on twitter or facebook.
 
 
Valentino may have taken a last bow during his final couture show in February 2008, but the continues to push creative boundaries.
 
Based on the success of the 45th Anniversary exhibition in Rome, an award winning must-see film about his life, and Parisian temporary exhibit — Valentino Garavani and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, have announced plans for an one-of-a-kind fashion exhibit that does not require a passport to appreciate: the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum.
 
The digital exhibit is a desktop application that will be available for download on December 5th and will showcase 50 years of archives through 5,000 images — including illustrations, photographs, runway pieces, and 95 fashion show videos. The exhibit will, according to WWD, use 3D technology to fully render the exhibit as an immersive digital experience.
 
 
“It is an idea that I had many years ago,” Mr. Giammetti told WWD, “after going through a great museum site and being able to navigate through these rooms full of paintings…I asked myself if it would be possible to recreate a vast computer-generated museum. We started designing and nothing really appealed to me. I wanted to have the light of Rome without looking old. I wanted to show not only the dresses but the history behind them, from the drawing to the women who wore them.”
 
I see it as part of my legacy,” Mr. Valentino continued. “I am happy that thousands of students, young designers and fashion people will be able to see and study my work in every aspect of it, and in a manner easy and accessible for the younger generations. But it is also important to remember things of the past, to review the fashion that has shaped our lives. I would call it ‘Future Memory.”  Among the memories included in the vast archives will be the 1961 haute couture dress Elizabeth Taylor wore to the Roman premiere of Spartacus; Jacqueline Kennedy‘s 1968 couture wedding dress for her marriage to Aristotle Onassis; and the 1992 haute couture gown Julia Roberts wore to accept her Oscar in 2001.
 
It's easy to see why Garavani and Giammetti chose to make the experience virtual given the breadth of memories created during Valentino's expansive career. If the exhibit existed in an actual museum, it would need a venue with more than 107,500 square feet.
 
We think the designer wears "retirement" well.
 
{source: WWD}
Taking a note from the Hermes Hermès Artisans Festival of Crafts (a.k.a. the one brand LVMH desires most), luxury conglomerate LVMH opened up 25 of its brands to the public on Saturday and Sunday for Les Journées Particuliéres (The Special Days) providing a glimpse into its exclusive workshops, design showrooms and wine cellars.
 
It was the first time in its history that LVMH has revealed the hundreds of hands and delicate workmanship behind its illustrious brands. Below is the preview video produced for the weekend event.
 

 

Couturiers like Christian Dior and Givenchy welcomed hundreds in Paris. Visitors were shown the high-ceilinged salon at Givenchy where the brand's famous clients like Hollywood stars Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor would meet with the famous couturier, who retired in 1995. A grey-haired tailor at Dior, who has worked at the couturier for a decade, showed small groups the proper way to make a men's jacket, which takes about a week and requires 15 pieces of fabric.
 
"These are works of art," said Beatrice de Plinval of Parisian jewellers Chaumet, referring to the bejewelled headpieces the company has produced for the French aristocracy since 1780. Chaumet's sparkling creations can require between 500 to 1,500 hours of workmanship.
 
In Italy, Bulgari, Fendi and Pucci participated in the "Private Days" event, which also reached Spain, Scotland and Poland, according to Reuters.
 
The two-day event was not solely focused on the art of fashion. Top makers from Dom Perignon to Moet & Chandon opened their cellars in France's champagne and design buffs viewed the headquartered in some of Europe's most beautiful buildings.
 
We love the opportunity to create intimate connection between artist and consumer regardless of income level. The grand marble staircase at Dior, situated on Paris' exclusive Avenue Montaigne, was the site of the atelier's first fashion shows, where stars like Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich would watch sinewy models pass by.
 
The rich history and culture represented by these brands offer a glimpse into people, places, and luxury goods before the likes of tabloid magazines.
 
only the tasty bits...
 
CULTURE
 
 
- New tool calculates how many slaves (forced labor) helped to make your favorite jeans, eyeshadow, and coffee. {Refinery29}
- Facebook has made even more changes to privacy settings. This time they targeted fan and band pages. {Locker Gnome}
- Sometimes A Brand Isn't Worth Saving. {Co. Design}
 
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FOOD
- $1,250 Lunch for 2: Welcome to the French Laundry pop-up in London. {Business Week}
- The Next Big Restaurant featuring Willows Inn on Lummi Island in WA. {Wall Street Journal}
- Nationwide Surveys Reveal Disconnect Between Americans and their Food. {PRnewswire}
 
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FASHION 
Anna Wintour by Andrew Yang
{photo: AnOther}
 
- Loving the Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington dolls by Andrew Yang. {AnOther}
- Skill and discipline paid off: An interview with superstar fashion blogger/photographer Scott Schuman. {Business of Fashion}
- Best of Cosmoprof 2011: How presentation can make or break a beauty brand. {Medium}
 
 
By 2015 the world will have 33 mega-cities with populations of over 10 million and more than 500 cities with populations of over 1 million.
 
More important, by 2025, 10 cities in China are projected to have populations over 10 million.
 
At that rate, we foresee a lot of mega-shopping!
 
Chinese mainland tourists spent more on shopping in 2010 than any other population according to the first Chinese Luxury Traveler White Paper, released last month by the Hurun Report in association with the International Luxury Travel Market Asia revealed mainland tourists consumed 17% percent of the global shopping market, a 91% percent increase from 2009. China was followed by Russia (16%), Japan and the United States (5 % each) and Indonesia (4%).
 
Watches and jewelry lead the list of favorite products purchased by Chinese followed by garments and fashion accessories. It's clear that high-spending tourism is big business but it's unclear for how long.
 
"Even greater partnerships and opportunity between top tier global brands and China local companies will ensue," said Betsy Hentz, a business development consultant with more than 20 years experience in global apparel manufacturing. "The China customer is a key focus of brand growth strategy including the speed of new product innovation, product manufacturing processes and service models."
 
China, the world's second-largest luxury goods market, is planning on making those goods more accessible by slashing import duties on opulent items to encourage wealthy local shoppers to buy more pricey cosmetics, watches and liquor, reported Channel News Asia. The high import duties, 50% for cosmetics and 30% for high-end watches, drive many Chinese consumers to shop for luxury goods in Hong Kong, London and Paris- a trend that several Chinese ministries want to change.
 
Currently prices of 20 luxury brand products are 45% higher than those in Hong Kong, 51% higher than U.S. prices, and 72% higher than French prices, a study by China's commerce ministry showed.
 
As luxury brands face gloomy prospects in North America and Europe, China is poised to be the key player in consumer spending.