Lifestyle Products: A Promising Market
Luxury brands are expanding their product offerings beyond their usual range of products as the lifestyle sector gains popularity among consumers. As the demand increases for such products, this strategic diversification in product offerings can be a key decision for brands to expand their market share. By moving into another product category, a brand can increase its value, diversify its portfolio, and generate new business opportunities. Additionally, it gives them the opportunity to be reactive to trends and popular items on a global scale. Creating branded products outside of traditional offerings allows brands to attract new customers from diverse demographics, with a wide range of price points. Lifestyle items such as home decor, electronics, games, accessories, and more are increasingly being offered by luxury brands.
Brands such as Dior, Balenciaga, and Bottega Veneta are taking advantage of this opportunity, with a variety of unique products, delivering something for every consumer. While staying true to their signature brand elements, Bottega Venata’s new collection of lifestyle objects provides never-before-seen offerings: nesting boxes, pendants, textile pieces such as cushions and throws, and even a box of dominoes. Dior’s backgammon set is a homage to its playful heritage, featuring its traditional logo imprint on embossed leather. With the brand’s signature minimalist design, Balenciaga’s stainless steel bottle is an everyday object that transformed into a luxurious item.
For lifestyle offerings to succeed, brands must make sure the products align with their image and meet their standards. To achieve this goal, a key strategy is to identify niche specialization in the item being produced, for example, the production of porcelain in Limoge, France, or the creation of a fouta in Tunisia. In partnership with a global network of craftspeople and vendors, Ateliers AME creates lifestyle items for top brands, sourcing artisans specializing in each particular niche. The Ateliers AME process is dedicated to understanding a brand’s individual DNA; regardless of the product category, the item is identifiable as consistent with the brand’s core identity. Guiding the process from conception and creativity to logistics and delivery, Ateliers AME works closely with in-house artisans to oversee the entire production process, ensuring that the highest standard of quality is maintained.
Sustainability: The New Standard
Luxury buyers are increasingly valuing sustainability in the luxury sector, encouraging brands and companies to embrace ecological values. Many luxury Maison, including Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, and Hermes, have adopted upcycling practices, using recycled materials to create new items.
As a result of an industry-wide sustainability initiative, more luxury houses are joining the movement, such as LVMH, owner of Dior, Fendi, and dozens of other luxury brands.
LVMH launched Nona Source in 2021, an online marketplace for unused fabrics and leather. The next year, Louis Vuitton launched a collection of footwear created from unused raw materials, using 90% recycled and bio-sourced materials.
Since its founding, the circular economy has been a core part of Ateliers AME’s DNA, and in collaboration with the top luxury brands of the world, has been a lead innovator in repurposing excess materials into incredible products. By using surplus quality materials from luxury workshops, Ateliers AME maintains the highest standard of sustainability and takes a stance against waste. Adhering to its signature level of craftsmanship, Ateliers AME produces a wide range of bespoke items, including leather goods, accessories for travel, electronics, watches and jewelry, and even home decor. Ateliers AME’s partnership with luxury forward-thinking brands ensures something made with true attention to detail and quality: beautiful and better for the environment.
The Product: A Channel For Creativity and Communication
Integrating art into the consumer experience has long been a distinguishing feature between the regular world and the world of luxury. In recent years, luxury icons that have historically followed a traditional brand coding are venturing into the world of streetwear and popular culture to connect with an even broader consumer base. In contrast to what is expected, unconventional marketing activations provide an opportunity to express personality and creativity while engaging global audiences, drawing the attention of the press and creating shareable social media content.
Balenciaga’s Fall 2024 show invitation stepped outside of the convention this year. They crafted a custom “energy bar” for their attendees, encasing all of the details of the event, plus summaries of Balenciaga’s top moments in history on its “Nutritional Facts.”
When launching a unique project such as this, one of the challenges many brands face is whether they are able to manufacture and manage the process of creating these kinds of items outside of their normal product range. As a full-service partner from ideation to conception, Ateliers AME supports brands in creating memorable, one-of-a-kind products that speak to the essence of their brand. Through this process, Ateliers AME connects brands with the ideal manufacturers for their products, finding specialized craftsmen for the brand’s unique objectives.