Berluti booms thanks to Haider Ackermann, plans new store openings worldwide

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Nov 17, 2017

Berluti is booming, and seems to be reaping rich rewards from the fresh zest brought to the label's collections by Haider Ackermann, who was appointed Creative Director in September 2016. After three seasons, the collaboration between the label and the designer is "going well," as Antoine Arnault, the CEO of the LVMH group's menswear label, told FashionNetwork.com.

"The collections designed by Haider Ackermann are working extremely well with all types of clients and in all geographical areas, with strong, double-digit growth everywhere except for the USA, where growth is weaker," said Arnault.

Thanks to Ackermann's touch, Berluti has subtly transformed its wardrobe, edging towards a simplified kind of luxury menswear, with straightforward but sophisticated items and a sprinkling of sensuality. "Chinese [clients] are swarming back, and Japan too is going very well. The collections are extremely well received, and so are the leather accessories," added Antoine Arnault.

Berluti was founded in 1895 in Paris, earning a reputation as a luxury footwear manufacturer. In 2011 it added menswear to its range, and a bespoke service through the Arnys ateliers, bought by LVMH in 2012. In 2013, the label started to internationalise, opening stores notably in London, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York and recently Los Angeles.

Berluti, whose main market is Asia, will land in India by the end of the year, and currently operates 53 monobrand stores. Three new openings are heralded for next year: Dubai, Munich and Macao.