It cannot be said that Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s Fashion president, is preaches optimism, but he does urge caution when everyone fears the worst. Sure, the Chinese market has slowed, while globally there is no optimism in the air, but there is no need to panic: luxury knows struggle. “We are now seeing an economic crisis that affects everyone and not just the luxury industry”, are his words to MFF. “But it’s part of the game. We have to be ready for these kinds of situations. We have seen it in the past with Japan or the United States. There are ups and downs and it’s part of our job to be able to anticipate and structure the brand when we encounter a problem”.
Luxury knows struggle
In the long and expansive interview, Pavlovsky urges people to keep a straight line while waiting for better times, which he is certain will come. “I’m not worried. We just have to accept the fact that when you have growth, it’s not forever“. To best emerge from a period that is also suffering dramatic implications, at Chanel they are banking on sobriety: is it “time to slow down?” the journalist asks.
“Yes”, the manager answered, “look at the economy, look at politics, look at what is happening in the world. We will continue to do what we have to do for our loyal customers, because it is very important, but it is also very important to position ourselves correctly. For me the dream is not to be intrusive. The dream is to be very respectful of whatever happens in any country. So we have to be careful, humble. We are offering a dream, and this dream is can be compatible with humility”.
Okay, but what about the creative director?
When following the talk into the more data-driven portion, Pavlovsky does not shy away from Chanel’s 2024 results (20 billion strong in 2023): “It will depend on the end of the year. I think the great times are over. We’ve had three or four incredible years. If I look at the last 20 years, Chanel has had tremendous growth. We are sort of in the middle, but we are not aggressive”. Okay, but who will take Virginie Viard’s place? “We will take our time to make the right choice. We are not in a hurry. As you see, there are many, many designers moving from one brand to another”, he concludes. “We don’t want to be part of that. When we have something to announce, we will happily do so”.
Photo from archive
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