LVMH’s Dior Adds Technogym Collab to Fitness Lineup
Exercise equipment maker Technogym announced a deal with luxury designer Christian Dior in an effort to attract more high-end clients.
Starting in January, Technogym will sell co-branded treadmills, bench presses, and gym balls exclusively in Dior boutiques across the globe. The company has machines in around 80,000 fitness centers and 500,000 private homes worldwide.
Dior recently unveiled its 2022 spring-summer women’s collection, the Dior Vibe line, at its Cruise show in Athens.
The line includes athletic clothing items and a special Dior Vibe sneaker.
Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri said the company “understood the importance of sport during the pandemic.”
In July, painter Peter Doig extended his Dior collaboration with designer Kim Jones to create a capsule collection of ski wear, and in 2019, Dior partnered with Nike on a limited-edition sneaker — Dior has also collaborated with Nike on Air Jordan 1s. Earlier this month, Dior signed a two-year deal with soccer giant Paris Saint-Germain.
Dior recorded a 56% increase in year-over-year revenue for the first half of the year, with its parent company LVMH reaching $33.8 billion in revenue.
LVMH took control of Dior in $13.1 billion buyout in 2017.
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Another Livestream, Another Fail for Dior
What Happened: The livestream of Dior’s latest collection recorded over 54 million views in China — a new record for the luxury house. Still, behind the high figures, the Paris Fashion Week event was not without controversy. Overall, the collection was less than well received with some citizens calling out the brand’s looks as “ugly” copies of earlier designs from Prada and Miu Miu.
Secondly, while the viewing figures were undoubtedly boosted by the attendance of K-pop star Jisoo, a member of the Korean music group Blackpink, she became a focal point for netizens. The idol yields considerable influence in China and is the house’s global ambassador for fashion and beauty lines. Her presence prompted netizens to ask why Chinese celebrities were “worth less than Korean ones?”
The Jing Take: According to Coresight Research, Chinese consumers are expected to spend $300 billion on products featured in livestreaming videos this year. This means luxury brands can’t afford to ignore the sector. And, despite its efforts, Dior continues to garner mixed results from the strategy.
On the up side, it certainly knows how to attract traffic: This viewing figure towers over the previous season’s 16.3 million which is good news. On the down side, an increased reach is a double-edged sword, and, as a result of its widespread popularity, Weibo was flooded with negative responses.
Influential critics, bloggers and fans, including @YangFanJame (1.3 million followers) and@starstylefashion (with 2.3 million fans) criticized the change of style indicating it was out of step with progressive shoppers’ desires. @Pipijuice (1.8 million) reposted images of looks that illustrated questionable fashion plundering from Prada and called to mind Diet Prada’s scathing takedowns. “Auntie Maria is destroying Dior” indeed.
The reactions also amplify the complexities of using KOLs as conduits. Despite the attendance of two Chinese actresses, Dior was accused of racism by irate fans demanding to see even more representation at the event. As the country’s role in luxury increases, sophisticated consumers are looking for authenticity and increased visibility in brand communications. Dior’s recent hiring of transgender icon Jin Xing as a fragrance face was a positive step, but more needs to be done. Isn’t it time for Dior to appoint a global ambassador from China?
The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.