A still from Roland Mouret's “No Show” film to mark the brand's launch on the Amazon Luxury Stores app.
Image Courtesy of Amazon and Roland Mouret
LONDON – Roland Mouret is running with Amazon, opening a shop on its new Luxury Stores app, and marking the debut with a CGI film called “No Show,” which features clothing but no models, and zero carbon footprint.
Roland Mouret is the Amazon app’s second launch partner and the first independent British brand to join Luxury Stores. He will open his shop and screen the new film on Thursday, Sept. 17.
The opening comes two days after Oscar de la Renta announced it was taking part in Amazon’s new luxury project, which WWD first reported on earlier this year.
The app is being offered by-invitation-only to eligible Prime members in the United States.
In an interview, Mouret said his new alliance with the digital giant reminds him of another big decision he made two decades ago.
Mouret was one of the first designers to join the then-fledgling e-commerce site Net-a-porter, “when nobody said it would work. But I am always challenging myself to envision what the future should be, and how designers can sell their creativity.”
A still from Roland Mouret’s “No Show” film with Amazon Luxury Stores. Image Courtesy of Amazon and Roland Mouret
He described Amazon as “the next frontier” for luxury fashion online. “At the moment – in my gut – it feels so right. It’s part of the reset of the fashion industry.”
The worlds of fashion and retail may have turned upside down since Net-a-porter, now a market leader and part of a 2.43 billion euros division of Compagnie Financière Richemont, first launched, but Mouret said a designer’s challenge remains the same: “It’s about how to bring your creativity to a product, and how to make sure that product gets sold – and worn by someone.”
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Amazon is arriving on the scene at a time when the traditional wholesale model is under pressure, and e-commerce is on the rise. Its proposition is to convert swathes of Prime customers into fashion and luxury shoppers, using its data, marketing and logistics know-how.
Mark Langthorne, chief executive officer of the brand, said he and Mouret both believe, “more so than ever, that e-commerce is extremely important for the Roland Mouret brand. Amazon offers a unique partnership and business model, backed up by cutting-edge technology and breathtaking logistics. They are also uniquely placed to connect the dots between e-commerce and entertainment in the luxury sector.”
Mouret pointed to Amazon’s “close relationship with the consumer” and said he’s eager to be part of its first, virtual shop-in-shop concept. He said he was free to design the shop exactly the way he wanted it, and did not have to conform to a look, as he would with a traditional department store concession.
A still from Roland Mouret’s film “No Show” with Amazon Luxury Stores. Image Courtesy of Amazon and Roland Mouret
As reported, Amazon is understood to be giving the brands full control over the look and feel of their virtual stores, allowing them to sell as much as they please, control when or if they go on markdown and — crucially — leverage Amazon’s speedy delivery and customer service platform.
Mouret said he plans to embrace Amazon’s “View in 360” service on the app, which dovetails with his own approach to design. He makes clothes up to a British size 20, which is equivalent to a U.S. size 16.
Amazon, he added, will also allow him to penetrate further into the U.S., already his largest market.
Two years ago, Mouret shut his townhouse store at 1006 Madison Avenue as part of a wider reorganization of the business, which at the time was streamlining and putting a greater focus on e-commerce, digital and wholesale.
He said his relationships with current partners, such as Mytheresa, Harrods, Selfridges, Net-a-porter and Saks Fifth Avenue remain intact, and he’ll continue to operate from his London headquarters on Carlos Place in Mayfair. As reported, the company is also looking for outside investment, up to 50 percent of the business.
The Amazon shop will carry a selection of Mouret’s pre-fall 2020 collection as well as a series of exclusives. The selection will be sold in limited quantities and offer classic pieces in step with Mouret’s commitment to a slower-paced fashion cycle, according to Mouret’s company.
An in-app screen from Roland Mouret’s new shop on Amazon’s Luxury Stores app.
As reported, the designer cancelled his fall 2020 collection due to the impact of COVID-19. He then cast a fresh eye over the runway looks he showed in London last September, and in February, re-grouped them into mini collections destined for delivery from June through October.
Lockdown, he said, also gave him the opportunity to reduce waste and excess inventory, bring his collections more in line with the weather and “re-adapt” to the needs of the customer.
His pre-fall collection is filled with origami-style folds, draped and twisted crepe; asymmetrical shapes and a few signature body-con silhouettes.
To mark the launch of his store on the app, Roland Mouret and Amazon have created a film called “No Show.”
Mouret worked with the London-based CGI artist Ondrej Zunka, to create a “utopia” where animated outfits stroll around and landscapes are transformed by their movements, reacting to every step. Five Roland Mouret looks are featured, including tailored separates, gowns and dresses, each outfit displaying three-dimensional curves.
Mouret said the “No Show” film plays on the Luxury Store app’s “anywhere-anytime” convenience, and added he was proud to create a fashion experience with “zero carbon footprint.” The music featured in the film is by the English singer-songwriter and musician Marc Almond.
An in-app shot from Roland Mouret’s new Amazon Luxury shop. Image Courtesy of Amazon
Oscar de la Renta was the first designer to open a store on the app earlier this week and is stocking the pre-fall and fall-winter 2020 collections, including rtw, handbags, jewelry, accessories and a new perfume, with children’s wear coming soon.
“We are excited to offer luxury brands the services and technology to build an inspiring, elevated customer experience,” Christine Beauchamp, president of Amazon Fashion, said earlier this week. “We look forward to growing Luxury Stores, innovating on behalf of our customers, and opening a new door for designers all over the world to access existing and new luxury customers.”
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