24 Sèvres, LVMH’s impending multi-brand e-commerce platform, posted a grid of images on its Instagram account yesterday meant to uncover “24 secrets of the launch.” The move — which followed the creation of multiple Instagram accounts and countless image grids — shines a light on what to expect from the website’s launch on June 6.
“Places aren’t always what they seem, explore our favorite spots below” reads the first row. Beneath it, numerous images come together to make a map of sorts, with a collage of items ranging from macarons to a Keith Haring print scattered across it. It is “Le Paris de 24 Sèvres,” or Paris through the eyes of 24 Sèvres.
24 Sèvres’ Instagram page
Each image within the grid is captioned with two Instagram accounts named after Paris hot spots, from the Palais-Royal to Café Kitsuné. When clicked on, those accounts open up to display a new grid of images, which collectively showcase one item from what will be an exclusive capsule collection between 24 Sèvres and a host of top designers and brands (most of whom are French) celebrating the website’s launch.
That list includes: Fendi, Courréges, Maison Kitsuné, Kenzo, Vanessa Bruno, Miu Miu, Chloé, Roger Vivier, Alice Balas, Pierre Hardy, Marc Jacobs, Repetto, Acne Studios, Nicholas Kirkwood, Olympia Le Tan, Vanessa Seward, Proenza Schouler, Loewe, Alexandra Golovanoff, Givenchy, Jour/Né, Kure Bazaar and Forte Forte.
The collection will be available online at 24 Sèvres, as well as at Le Bon Marche, LVMH’s upscale department store that served as the initial inspiration for the site.
A Marc Jacobs x Julie Ver Hoeven jacket from 24 Sèvres’ launch collection
Adding perhaps to the one-off appeal of the line, many of the designers participating collaborated with other artists on their pieces: Vanessa Seward worked on “The Victory Jeans” with illustrator Jason Glasser, Kenzo called on photographer Hans Feurer for a print to spice up a T-shirt, Pierre Hardy created a sleek white sneaker with the sculptor Mathias Kiss, and on and on.
This collection hints at how LVMH may hope to differentiate itself from competitors like Net-a-Porter and Farfetch. Although those retailers have used collaborations in the past to drum up sales, they lack the direct access to hot brands like Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Loewe and Louis Vuitton that could give 24 Sèvres a leg up. Pulling in artists outside the fashion space will also contribute to each item’s rarity and will allow the retailer to tap into a wider consumer pool.
When the website was first announced in early May, Charlie Cole, the vice president of Tumi, told Glossy that LVMH’s success here would depend on “whether [or not it] can use [24 Sèvres] as a medium to give people access to things they can’t get elsewhere.” So far, that seems to be the case.
