Desigual

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Desigual
TypeSociedad Anónima (S.A.)
IndustryFashion
GenreFashion brand, business, traditional company, retail firm
FoundedBarcelona, Spain(1984)
Founder
Headquarters
Barcelona, Catalonia
,
Spain
ProductsClothing, accessories, shoes
Revenue€359 million (2020)
Number of employees
2,766(2020)
Websitewww.desigual.com

Desigual (Spanish: [desiˈɣwal], Catalan: [dəziˈɣwal]; meaning "unequal, uneven") is a Spanish fashion company. It is headquartered in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.[1] It was started by Thomas Meyer in 1984. The company has a presence in 107 countries, with different distribution channels and several partners. The company works with Spanish and international designers and artists.

History[]

  • 1983: Meyer designed a jacket made from scraps of second-hand jeans, then known as the "Iconic Jacket".[2]
  • 1984: The brand ‘Desigual’ was created in 1984. The idea came from Spanish filmmaker Isabel Coixet,[3]
  • 1986: The company opened its first own store in the harbor of Ibiza and included its first logo – a graphical representation of a naked man and woman holding hands – designed by Peret.[4]
Thomas Meyer, Desigual founder
  • 2011: Desigual started collaborating with the French designer Monsieur Christian Lacroix.[5]
  • 2012: The company officially opened its headquarters in the neighborhood of La Barceloneta in Barcelona, a glass building designed by Ricardo Bofill with 24,000 square meters of floor space distributed over six stories, which required an investment of 50 million euros.[6] Desigual joined the Textile Exchange.
  • 2015: the company inaugurated its logistics center in Viladecans.[7]
  • 2019: The company redefined its product, including new materials, patterns and designs, in an effort to expand its audience and incorporate new generations.[8]

Development[]

Every year Desigual launches two collections: spring-summer and autumn-winter.[9] The company has ten sales channels, both physical and online, and distribution is centralized in logistics centers located in Viladecans, Gavà, New Jersey (USA) and Hong Kong. Desigual was managed by Manel Adell from 2002 until December 2013.[10] It achieved a 60% annual growth from 2002 to 2009, and a turnover of €250 million in 2009,[11] €440 million in 2010[12] and €560 million in 2011. In 2011 it employed 2,900 people of 72 nationalities.[13]In 2013 Manel Jadraque became the CEO.[14] Further on, Alberto Ojinaga has been the managing director since 2016. The firm has a presence in 107 countries, with 428 mono-brand stores and more than 2,766 employees worldwide, 547 of whom at the headquarters in the neighborhood of La Barceloneta, in Barcelona.

In 2020, the company was ranked among the most valuable Spanish brands on BrandZ,[15]prepared by Kantar, and received the bronze Laus Award for the new brand identity it launched in 2019.[16]

Brand image[]

Some of the names of collections launched by the company are "Real Life", "Magic Stories", "Luxury Feelings", "Me&You", "Better&Better", "Wow", "All Together", "Handmade", “Rainbow”, “El Love” “La Difference”, “El Now”, “We are Animals” and “La vida es Chula”,[17] the latter being Desigual's slogan, which encapsulates the brand's purpose and values.

In 2004, the company launched a line of T-shirts inspired by drawings of Thomas Meyer's daughters. In January 2010, Desigual launched a campaign in Spain and Portugal to promote the sale period: customers were invited to enter stores in their underwear, with the first 100 customers receiving a free outfit. The slogan for this campaign was: "Enter naked, leave dressed". 200 people queued in their underwear on the street outside the Madrid store to take advantage of the winter sale. The campaign was repeated in London, Berlin, Stockholm, Madrid, Prague and New York in June 2011; and in Madrid, Seville and Lyon in January 2012.[18]

One of the brand’s most notable campaigns starred Winnie Harlow, a Canadian model with vitiligo, who was the face of the spring-summer 2014 collection. Desigual regularly creates collections with cultural and artistic figures. In addition to the collaboration with French designer Christian Lacroix, which began in 2011.[19]Desigual signed a worldwide partnership with Cirque du Soleil in June 2011to develop a clothing collection named "Desigual inspired by Cirque du Soleil" including sixty items of clothing and accessories.[13] Desigual also collaberated with Disney in a collection inspired by the iconic denim jacket, created by Thomas Meyer in the 80s from denim scraps with leather embellishments of different colour.[20]

Desigual, first logo

Starting in 2018, the firm established new collaborations with well-known personalities and other companies through which it has launched capsule collections featuring new materials, campaigns promoting diversity, and artistic projects. These collaborations have involved the likes of artists Miranda Makaroff and Okuda San Miguel,[21][22]designer María Escoté,[23] actor Jordi Mollá and Najwa Nimri,[24][25] as well as with Ecoalf,[26] Victoria or Sonar Barcelona.[27]

In June 2019, the firm launched its new brand image, which featured a new logo that flipped the brand name backwards, along with a product revamp (more urban, versatile and sustainable garments and accessories) and a more personalized shopping experience. This required a redesign of strategic stores in Europe, America and Asia.[28]Notable among them was the Harajuku district in Tokyo, Japan, one of the company's most important markets. This store dedicated one of its floors to offering customers the opportunity to customize garments and attend workshops led by artists.[29]

At the end of the same year, as part of the international art event Art Basel Miami Beach, Desigual presented its spring-summer 2020 collection with a fashion show, as well as an artistic show directed by Spanish artist Carlota Guerrero and inspired by the kiss. It starred personalities from the world of fashion, art, film and music, who performed a choreography, and was followed by a show where couples and trios kissed in front of the audience wearing garments from the new collection and, later on, nothing at all.[30]

Digitalization[]

The transformation plan adopted in 2015 required an investment of more than 80 million euros in logistics processes, IT, innovation and the distribution network. RFID technology has been implemented across all Desigual stores, enabling the inventory to be managed accurately and in real time, while also establishing stock traceability from the source. At physical points of sale, the company uses the “Ask Me” service, allowing multiple transactions to be carried out, from exchanges or returns to making purchases.[31] The “Ship From Store” service has also been launched, a system that allows packages to be prepared at the closest store to the delivery point.[32]

As for the online channel, the company has its own website and sells its products through e-tailers and flash sales. Created in 1998, the desigual.com website was refreshed at the end of 2019 to align it with the new brand image, featuring advances in terms of personalization, scalability and localization.[33] Available in more than 150 markets, the online store is supported by cross-border e-commerce technologies from logistics and technology partner Global-e. It also integrates a system of recommendations based on artificial intelligence and offers users country-specific payment methods.[34] The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a change in consumption and purchasing habits which boosted digital channels. Since May 2020, online sales on desigual.com have recorded an average growth of 50%, with peaks of up to 70%.[35]  

Desigual's use of blockchain technology to improve visibility in the supply chain has been noted as an "important step" towards building in more transparency and accountability into the process of meeting customer needs.[36]

Sustainable production[]

Desigual's clothing is mainly manufactured in Asia (73% of production), primarily in countries such as China and India.[37] Some is also manufactured in Europe and the Middle East (27% of production). In 2020 the company made public the list of garment factories actively working for it around the world (Tier 1 suppliers).[38]

To ensure compliance with the company's Code of Conduct for suppliers (including regulations on compliance with the law, human rights, employee rights, as well as labor, environmental, quality and safety conditions), Desigual conducts audits which are carried out through an independent third-party entity,[39] in accordance with the BSCI and SMETA international standards.

The company has introduced sustainable fibers and launched collections featuring garments made from organic and recycled fibers, such as the “Love the World” collection released in January 2021.[40]

In 2020, the brand accelerated its sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan. Its goals include reducing the carbon footprint by 25% by 2025 (with the aim of being carbon neutral by 2050), using up to 30% sustainable fibers in the collections by 2021 (with a target of 50% by 2023), removing single-use plastic from product packaging by 2021, and sourcing 100% more-sustainable cotton by 2025.[41]

Regarding waste management, in 2019 Desigual recovered nearly 80% of the 1,638 tons of waste generated in its buildings located in Spain and stores located in Catalonia. Overall, the company reduced waste generation by 20% compared to 2018.[42]

Desigual Store, Osaka, Japan

Commercial network[]

Desigual has stores and points of sale in 107 countries: with recent store openings in Asia (Japan,[43] India[44]), South Africa,[45] Latin America (Colombia,[46] Peru,[47] Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador),[48] Europe (Italy[49]), and ecommerce launching in Hong Kong, Russia and Turkey,[50] among other markets.

Disputes[]

In 2008, the firm Dolores Promesas filed a complaint against Desigual for marketing a T-shirt with a design identical to one of its own and, therefore, for copyright infringement. The complaint was settled out of court, with Desigual apologizing and withdrawing all garments with that design.[51]

Shortly beforehand, in July 2008, the company Custo Barcelona, owned by designer Custo Dalmau, threatened to sue Desigual for systematically copying several of its products in an attempt to confuse customers, but the complaint never reached the courts.[52]Within the textile industry, this was believed to be an advertising strategy of Custo’s to find new partners.[53]

In 2014 the company received criticism for releasing a television commercial around Mother's Day which featured a woman poking a hole in a condom, displaying the words "You decide" on the screen.[54][55] The company stated in its official Twitter profile that it was a humorous and fictional commercial, that included the warning text "do not try it at home".[56]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Desigual Continues Worldwide Rollout". Sportswear International Magazine. 25 February 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  2. ^ "The Iconic Jacket Desigual". www.neo2.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  3. ^ "La vida (muy) chula del fundador de Desigual". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 29 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Nuevo logo de Desigual ¿Atrevimiento o locura?". Gràffica (in Spanish). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Christian Lacroix designs for Desigual - Telegraph". fashion.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Sede de Desigual". Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Desigual inaugura su nuevo centro logístico en Viladecans". Cadena de Suministro (in Spanish). 5 November 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Desigual se resetea a la caza del 'millennial'". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 17 June 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  9. ^ "CURSO DISEÑO DE MODA, CÓMO HACER UNA COLECCIÓN. - ANDRESPERT ©" (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  10. ^ Manel Adell parts ways with Desigual
  11. ^ Desigual: the new Spanish phenomenon Archived 4 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ ESADE, Matins ESADE with Manel Adell, CEO and partner of Desigual
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b "Cirque du Soleil and Desigual Sign a Worldwide Partnership". 1 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  14. ^ "Swiss Billionaire Meyer Forms Fortune with Kissing Party". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  15. ^ "TEXTIL EXPRES - La Revista del Sector Textil y de la Moda". www.textilexpres.com. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  16. ^ "TEXTIL EXPRES - La Revista del Sector Textil y de la Moda". www.textilexpres.com. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  17. ^ Group, Mini STUDIO Publishing. "DESIGUAL "La vida es Chula" home collection". LuxuryTopics. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  18. ^ "PHOTOS: Why Are These Shoppers Practically Naked?". HuffPost. 2 January 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  19. ^ telegraph.co.uk, Christian Lacroix designs for Desigual
  20. ^ "Desigual and Disney Collaboration featuring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck". Belle Divino. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  21. ^ Scofield, Por Marina (7 December 2020). "La nueva colección de Miranda Makaroff x Desigual es la más bonita hasta la fecha". Harper's BAZAAR (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  22. ^ Ena, Nacho Viñau (7 January 2020). "Okuda Sanmiguel pinta un mural para Desigual en Nueva York". Decoesfera (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  23. ^ Ullate, Por Sara (7 September 2020). "Con las flores y el estilo urbano como grandes protagonistas: así es la colección de Mar��a Escoté para Desigual". Harper's BAZAAR (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  24. ^ Ullate, Por Sara (7 September 2020). "Con las flores y el estilo urbano como grandes protagonistas: así es la colección de María Escoté para Desigual". Harper's BAZAAR (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  25. ^ Sanz, Raquel (22 October 2019). "NAJWA NIMRI x DESIGUAL: La colección hecha por y para cañeras". vanidad.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  26. ^ Scofield, Por Marina (29 October 2020). "Desigual y Ecoalf o cómo el plumífero más tendencia de 2020 puede ser totalmente sostenible". Harper's BAZAAR (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  27. ^ Martinez, Jaime (17 July 2019). "Desigual une moda, creatividad y música en el Sónar 2019". FashionUnited (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  28. ^ ES, FashionNetwork com. "Desigual revisa su estrategia y presenta su nueva identidad". FashionNetwork.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  29. ^ por. "Nueva Desigual Shop Harajuku – La Cámara de Comercio Oficial de España en Japón" (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  30. ^ "Desigual recrea un beso colectivo para presentar su concepto "Love Different"". Reason Why (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Desigual acelera su digitalización: la Red copa ya el 14,1% de las ventas". www.modaes.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  32. ^ "Desigual acelera su digitalización: la Red copa ya el 14,1% de las ventas". www.modaes.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Economía/Empresas.- Desigual lanza nueva tienda 'online' y pone el foco en la personalización". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 17 December 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  34. ^ "Desigual acelera su digitalización: la Red copa ya el 14,1% de las ventas". www.modaes.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  35. ^ ES, FashionNetwork com. "David Sgreccia (Desigual): "El Covid-19 ha sido un acelerador para lo que queríamos hacer en el futuro"". FashionNetwork.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  36. ^ Blackman, J., Fashion brand Desigual deploys blockchain solution to keep tabs on supply chain, Enterprise IOT Insights, published 8 December 2020, accessed 3 June 2021
  37. ^ Barciela, Fernando (24 January 2010). "Estrategias muy de moda". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  38. ^ Corporate Desigual Suppliers. List of manufacturing factories (Tier1)
  39. ^ V.Pinuaga, Paula (19 November 2020). "Desigual refuerza su compromiso social con la cadena de suministro". FashionUnited (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  40. ^ Desigual. "Love the World, la nueva colección 100% sostenible de Desigual | Noticias Ambientales | España". CienciasAmbientales.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  41. ^ "Desigual se une a SEDEX y refuerza su compromiso social con la cadena de suministro". Compromiso RSE (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  42. ^ Desigual Sustainability Report 2019.
  43. ^ WW, FashionNetwork com. "Inside Desigual's plan to conquer Japan". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  44. ^ WW, FashionNetwork com. "Desigual makes physical debut in India". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  45. ^ International, Retail & Leisure (15 September 2020). "Desigual Launches in South Africa". Retail & Leisure International. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  46. ^ Camara, Sharon (28 October 2019). "Desigual ouvre une nouvelle boutique en Colombie". FashionUnited (in French). Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  47. ^ admin. "Desigual alista nueva apertura en el Jockey Plaza". Infomarketing (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  48. ^ "Desigual se renueva en Latinoamérica: lleva su nueva imagen a Colombia, Perú, México y Guatemala". www.modaes.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  49. ^ Distribuzione Moderna Web (May 3, 2021) "Desigual riapre il suo negozio a Torino Le Gru con un nuovo concept creativo"
  50. ^ US, FashionNetwork com. "Desigual to extend e-tail activity to 108 new markets, integrating franchisees". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  51. ^ "Dolores Promesas se instala en Murcia". www.modaes.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  52. ^ "Custo denuncia a Desigual ante los tribunales por copiar sus diseños". El País (in Spanish). 21 July 2008. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  53. ^ "Custo y Desigual: el caso de la demanda perdida". www.modaes.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  54. ^ "Critican a Desigual por un 'spot' en el que una mujer pincha preservativos para quedarse embarazada". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2 May 2014.
  55. ^ "Desigual la vuelve a liar con un anuncio "denigrante" y "sexista"". Público (in Spanish). 3 May 2014.
  56. ^ Press, Europa (3 May 2014). "Desigual genera polémica con su última campaña para el Día de la Madre". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 29 March 2021.

External links[]

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