Louis Vuitton 2006 Annual Report Download - page 37

steady demand. In order to take advantage of
the brand's strong potential, a major design
effort was initiated to develop its two leather
goods lines. Two footwear collections that
complete the direct offering from Marc Jacobs
have been successful since the first seasons.
Marc Jacobs continued to expand its retail
network. The opening of the Palais Royal
boutique in Paris, the first site in Europe, and
the Marc by Marc Jacobs store in San Francisco
were highlights of 2006.
For PUCCI, 2006 was essentially characterized
by the stylistic change contributed by new desi-
gner Matthew Williamson. The network of
boutiques of the Italian brand (23 stores at
December 31) recorded an increase in ready-
to-wear revenue. Pucci opened two new stores
in Japan and California and two franchise
boutiques in Kuwait and Malaysia during the
year.
BERLUTI turned in a record performance,
marked by continued strong revenue growth,
an excellent launch in the United States, a sixth
boutique in Japan, and the expansion of the
historic store in Rue Marbeuf in Paris. The
brand launched Indio, a new shoe collection,
and continued to enhance its star lines with the
Démesures limited series and the new Tatoués.
The recently created line of bags was also expan-
ded and highlighted in a promotional campaign
to develop Berluti's image in this segment.
OUTLOOK
2007 will be a year full of creative develop-
ments for Louis Vuitton. This vitality will
be reflected both in the expansion of its perma-
nent lines, particularly Monogram, Damier, Mono-
gram Multico, Denim and Epi and in the launch
of new products from the fashion runway
shows. In order to support production of these
new products, Louis Vuitton will continue
its efforts to boost productivity and improve
logistics.
The brand will continue to expand and reno-
vate its network of stores with about twenty
new stores opened in all regions of the world
and it will extend its presence to several new
countries.
Louis Vuitton will place 2007 under the travel
sign, a reflection of its roots and its historic
form of expression and will maintain major
promotional campaigns. The American actress
Scarlett Johansson will be the face of the 2007
spring-summer campaign, which will launch in
February 2007. Finally, 2007 is the year of the
LV Cup and the Americas Cup, one of the most
prestigious events in the world of sports, which
will place Louis Vuitton in the spotlight to
launch a Louis Vuitton Cup line.
Fendi, which has now established a trend of
profitable growth, will enhance all its product
categories, launch a new high-potential line of
leather goods and embark into new territories,
particularly with the launch of a perfume.
The other brands of the Fashion and Leather
Goods business group will intensify the efforts
already initiated to adapt their growth model,
reaffirm their progress by capitalizing on their
own identities, and boost their economic contri-
bution to overall results.
An Icon Exalted:
Olga Berluti has created
a new form “Démesure”
in a limited series
for the mythic
“Andy Warhol” loafer.
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