Lap of luxury

the change maker
Lorenzo Bertelli
Chief marketing officer and head of corporate social responsibility, Prada Group

On paper, Lorenzo Bertelli holds the titles of chief marketing officer and head of corporate social responsibility at the Prada Group, which involves shaping its communications efforts, leading its sustainability projects and maintaining its cultural relevance along the way. But his influence reaches much further. As the eldest son of Prada’s co-creative director Miuccia Prada and its group chairman, Patrizio Bertelli, he represents the future of the Hong Kong-listed group, which consists of luxury fashion labels Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s and Car Shoe, as well as the beloved Milanese patisserie Marchesi 1824 and Italian sailing team Luna Rossa. And there have never been more questions being asked about the future of the business, given its outstanding growth trajectory over the past five years.

At a time when the industry at large is contending with significant sales slowdowns and price resistance, the Prada Group exceeded all expectations in the first half of 2024 by posting a 14 per cent uptick in sales, with net revenues reaching €2.55bn. Miu Miu, best known for its irreverent designs, achieved a 93 per cent year-on-year retail sales increase thanks in part to increased distribution, multigenerational runway castings and a long series of commercial hits, from tennis-inspired clothing to shoes designed in collaboration with the likes of Church’s and New Balance. That’s why all eyes have turned to Bertelli Jr and the question of what comes next keeps being posed by market analysts, investors and customers alike. Will he take over as ceo? Can he maintain momentum? Are there future acquisitions in the works or will the family cash in on its success by selling to one of the bigger fashion conglomerates? 

Time will tell, says Bertelli, who has by now learnt to dodge succession-related questions elegantly. Instead, he is maintaining his focus on the many projects that he is spearheading: scaling the new Prada fine-jewellery line that he helped to launch in 2022, overseeing all group marketing efforts and investing in the sustainability projects that will help to safeguard the company’s future. 

One of the schemes that he feels most passionate about is Sea Beyond, executed in partnership with Unesco and focusing on ocean-literacy education for children. The programme offers training sessions by Unesco climate experts to more than 35,000 secondary-school students and teachers from 56 countries, and holds an annual contest inviting the students to create campaigns promoting ocean preservation. This year, the group also worked with Philippe Starck to incorporate the Ideas Box he initially designed for Bibilothéque Sans Frontières into the Sea Beyond initiative: the mobile box containing everything from books to laptops and training materials, will travel the world and facilitate access to sea education for young people in vulnerable communities. 

Bertelli, a new father, meets monocle in Venice a few hours before going onstage to join a panel at the city’s Ocean Literacy World Conference. He speaks of the importance of investing in children’s education, establishing cross-generational dialogues and not always expecting instant results. 

“We always talk about the younger generations as though older people need to be thrown away,” he says. “But there is nothing stronger than the relationship between different generations. I have never seen bigger smiles on my parents’ faces than when they met my daughter for the first time.”

A philosophy graduate and former rally racer, Bertelli confidently dissects abstract topics and holds multilayered perspectives, much like his mother. He seamlessly moves from talking about the importance of optimism to fashion’s complex effects on society and the psychology of luxury pricing. At the same time, he maintains a sense of pragmatism that allows him to make swift business decisions, execute the kind of marketing strategies that propelled Miu Miu’s explosive growth and approach issues such as sustainability with realistic goals in mind. Here, he shares his take on the Prada Group’s many cross-sector activities and leaves some clues about what might come next.

You have overseen a wide range of internal sustainability projects, such as the launch of the popular Re-Nylon range. Why is it important to also invest in public projects and work with governments and organisations such as Unesco?
The main goal is to inspire future generations to behave better. We are always working with photographers and activists but we need the public sector to help us to deploy the educational content [that we’re producing], especially when it comes to dealing with schools, which are public entities in most cases. The public sector isn’t always as fast as the private sector but we need to all work together. Having everybody on the same page will be the biggest challenge. 

The process can often be a bit boring when you start. You have to keep going, even though you might not see any results for another five, 10, maybe even 20 years. Politicians in particular aren’t so patient but we need to invest in strategic projects that have longer timeframes. 

Do you think that fashion businesses are well positioned to address broader social and environmental issues?
We can leverage the popularity of fashion and the way that it touches pop culture and society to make certain topics more attractive to people. How can you use the company as a communications medium to deliver messages that aren’t related to products? Fashion can be one of the strongest mediums and can help to influence society. We need to think about it as an industry with big pros and cons, with this being one of the pros. We have to try to reduce its environmental impact and play to its strengths to influence people to become more mindful.

What are some of the other key messages that you have been trying to convey using the Prada Group platform?
We need to explain to people that they should pay the right price for what they’re buying. The problem with sustainability today is ensuring that it is no longer perceived as a cost. Customers need to understand the real value of an item of clothing or a bottle of perfume. We are coming out of a long period of illusion when the real cost of goods was not accounted for but somebody had to pay the price at the end. The illusion that everything could cost a few euros or that everything is accessible for everybody is over. This is the message that we need to reiterate: that, unfortunately, not everything can be accessible. It’s the hardest message to relay to the consumer, so it’s essential to do it well. 

I was speaking with Matteo Ward [the ceo and co-founder of design studio Wråd] and he said that to explain the value of garments to people, you shouldn’t start by talking about labour costs. You should explain how a well-made piece is better for them and their health, and put the focus on the individual to grab their attention. We’re teaching the future Prada customer and it’s going to be a long process. We have to start, then wait and see. We can be impatient; we don’t start things if we can’t see a shortcut. But we need to go back to investing money and time in things that will pay back in the longer term. 

Has the way that you communicate with your customers had to change in recent years?
It’s becoming harder but the challenge doesn’t come from people not listening; it comes from the complexities of the market. We just have to do a better job. As for the mediums that you choose to communicate with, from digital to traditional, those are just the means to an end. I come from a racing background and we always used to say that it’s up to the driver to make sure that the car is fast enough, not the car itself.

You recently announced you will be investing €60m into the group’s industrial facilities in 2024 during the unveiling of a new knitwear-manufacturing plant in Torgiano, Umbria. How important is vertical integration for the Prada Group?
Since the 1990s, my father’s entrepreneurial vision has been to invest heavily in verticalisation [of our supply chains]. We have been the first in this sector. It’s a natural move for us. We’re just continuing to employ the original vision. Maybe for others, integrated manufacturing is something new but, for us, it’s a matter of continuing down the same path.

Has staffing factories become more challenging?
It’s becoming harder to find skilled people and that’s why we’re once again investing in education, with the Prada Group Academy, where retired Prada employees get to teach new talent. It’s an opportunity for them to keep working, to stay connected. It’s a great example of conversation between generations. People often talk about the new generation versus the old generation but we rarely talk about how the two can work together. 

What are your ambitions for Prada’s fine-jewellery line, after such a successful launch?
Fine jewellery is now one of the fastest-growing categories for Prada and we’re staying very focused on it. We started with a small business but with the right spirit. It was a new category for us so it was easier to make things right from a sustainability point of view and scale quickly, since we were starting from zero. 

Is there an increased focus on growing these new, fashion-adjacent categories and touching different aspects of customers’ lives?
If there is a true lifestyle brand, then that’s Prada. We have so much to say in the worlds of the home, jewellery, technology, material innovation and sport, thanks to our partnership with the America’s Cup. If you look at my mother’s family history, designing jewellery and objects was already part of what they did so I don’t see big gaps that we need to fill. Instead, we need to make the right choices and prioritise some categories. It’s a constant evolution. We’re always looking at where the biggest opportunities lie but we also need to consider what we enjoy the most. At the end of the day, we need to have fun. This has always been the spirit of my parents. 

I do see a big opportunity in the world of sports with Linea Rossa [Prada’s sportswear line, known for its signature red stripes]. This is an area of development that we will be strongly focusing on in the near future. 

There’s a lot of speculation about a potential sale of the Prada Group. How do you approach this?
We’re focusing on ourselves at the moment and making strategic investments. If and when the right opportunity knocks on our door, we will, of course, look at it. It would be silly not to. 

The Prada Group is growing but the industry is being challenged by macroeconomic and political issues. Overall, are you feeling optimistic?
I always say that it’s a matter of the perspective you choose at any given moment. If you compare the current state of affairs to 85 years ago, when the Second World War broke out, the world does seem like a better place. Humankind is always improving.
pradagroup.com

the cultural ambassador
Woo Youngmi
Founder of Wooyoungmi and Solid Homme 

Woo Youngmi, founder and creative director of Seoul-based fashion labels Wooyoungmi and Solid Homme, says that she has always done things recklessly. In 1988, when South Korea was just emerging from military rule, she debuted Solid Homme as one of the nation’s first design-led menswear labels, introducing new shapes and silhouettes into what was then a fashion hinterland. She didn’t stop there. In the early 2000s she left Seoul, where she had achieved critical and commercial success, for Paris, where she re-established herself. “I just couldn’t envision the next 20 or 30 years only working in Seoul,” she says.

Woo arrived in the French capital without a game plan. She debuted her second label, Wooyoungmi, focusing on higher-end luxury, and became the first South Korean designer to take part in Paris Fashion Week. Within a few years, the designer became a respected figure on Paris’s runways and established partnerships with department stores such as Le Bon Marché and Selfridges. 

Today the Korean Wave has swept across the world and global audiences are familiar with the country’s flair for sharp tailoring, as well as its catchy pop music, gripping films and innovative skincare. Woo, who has contributed to the phenomenon, remains a market leader: her Wooyoungmi shows are always oversubscribed in Paris and praised for offering fresh ideas on tailoring, workwear and, lately, uniform dressing. The brand has also been broadening its scope to include jewellery, accessories and womenswear and has opened a new Paris flagship on rue Saint- Honoré, a stone’s throw from the boutiques of Chanel, Dior and Loro Piana – a signal of the designer’s growing luxury ambitions. 

monocle visits Woo at her company’s Seoul headquarters, where her autumn collection (a mix of wide-leg denim, tweed suits and drop-shoulder suede jackets) is displayed alongside tapestries depicting the work of Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. She tells us about her relationship with Paris, her design philosophy and her constantly evolving creative drive.

Why did you choose to move to Paris from Seoul when its menswear scene was then quite limited?
I didn’t think in those terms. I just asked myself which city had an open mind for a young designer and the answer was Paris. People were saying that Milan was the centre of the world for menswear but that has changed since then. Still, I was very lost when I arrived. I had never felt that kind of helplessness up to that point but I had made up my mind so I jumped into it headfirst. I felt as though I was up against a huge wall but what could I do? I just had to keep going. 

You were the first South Korean woman to design menswear and you have since expanded into womenswear. How did you make those choices?
Every designer’s identity comes from within so it can feel uncomfortable to make something that one can’t personally wear. But I found that if it isn’t for me, I can be a lot more imaginative. I decided to start creating womenswear too but only after turning 60. When you put yourself in the frame of mind of thinking about what you want to wear, your designs can become narrow because you’re projecting who you are and who you aspire to be. At this age, I feel fortunate that I can design womenswear without constraints.

Let’s turn back to the 1990s, when South Korean men began having more disposable income and developed a taste in fashion. What was that like?
There was menswear before me but it was extremely conservative. I was almost committing heresy with my designs. People would say that it’s neither feminine nor masculine, a kind of “soft” menswear. But I didn’t give it too much thought. I was only 30. How much strategy do you think I had back then? I just did what felt right. 

What do you think about the Korean Wave?
I see it as the culmination of various cultural categories such as K-pop, K-food and K-films. Over the past 70 years, South Korea has undergone rapid economic development but before that we had a long history that cultivated a unique culture. We had a wealth of content; it just hadn’t been introduced to the world until recently. The fashion industry should ride this wave well. I hope that a group of designers who can represent and explain South Korean fashion – not just me – will form a strong, united presence in the global market.

You have been focusing on suiting and uniform dressing in recent collections. Why is the concept of a uniform becoming appealing again?
It’s a reaction to the fatigue brought on by the long dominance of streetwear. There’s a renewed appreciation for elegant, well-put-together clothing. Fashion, by its nature, is driven by a desire for novelty. But the key to sustaining a brand’s identity lies in creating something new while not being carried away by trends.

Why did you decide to open your new Paris shop in such a prime luxury spot?
Our first shop was in the Marais, a youthful area, and it made sense financially. But I now felt that it was the moment to move closer towards luxury. But, for me, luxury isn’t about price: I wanted to go up a level and that meant going to rue Saint-Honoré. That decision felt pretty reckless but once again we just went for it. 
wooyoungmi.com; solidhomme.com

the connoisseur
Nuria Cruelles
Perfumer, Loewe

Over the past decade, Loewe has transformed from a dormant Spanish heritage brand into one of the world’s most relevant luxury houses. This is largely thanks to its creative director, Jonathan Anderson, and the many ways in which he has revitalised the house’s fashion business, with mesmerising runway shows in Paris, a growing range of accessories and a commitment to artisanal production. 

Now, customers are equally excited about discovering the brand’s perfume and home-scent collections. Driving the momentum is Nuria Cruelles, the nose behind Loewe Perfumes. Cruelles, who also trained as an oenologist, grew up smelling the delicate floral notes of Loewe Aire on many women in her native Spain. Today, she has been working to give the brand’s original perfumes a new lease of life, as well as creating fresh hits. Much like Anderson, she has a flair for rule-breaking and is known to experiment with the most unconventional ingredients. She tells monocle about the new formulas that she has been concocting and explains how she created one of the most sought-after home fragrance lines using nothing but the humble ingredients in her kitchen.

What drew you to the world of perfumery?
As a child, I always found myself trying to guess what perfumes people were wearing. Over time, it became an obsession. I started by studying chemistry because being a perfumer is all about blending different ingredients and understanding chemical reactions. A perfume is alive. I spent some time travelling around Europe and, when I returned to Spain, Loewe called. It’s a dream to work for the only luxury Spanish brand.

What does Loewe and the global recognition that it has received in the past decade mean for Spain?
We’re all so proud. Through Loewe, we can show the world who we are, what we can do and the crafts that we specialise in. That’s why we want to highlight ingredients from Spain in our perfumes. 

Tell us about the new collection that you have been working on and its ties to Spain.
The idea was about having a single ingredient define a whole collection. We began by thinking about Spain and how to incorporate more of our values in the perfumes. The country is easily associated with the Mediterranean and aromatic scents but we wanted something even more special so we used rockrose from the south of Spain. It’s a very rustic, balsamic odour. It’s like discovering a rough diamond and having to polish it. When we are distilling it, we choose the cleaner, fresher facets of the ingredient to tailor it to our needs. We turned it into something sophisticated. It’s like gastronomy – a chef can take a few basic elements and create art. 

Do you try to keep a dialogue going between the fashion and perfume sectors of the business?
Jonathan Anderson has always respected my expertise and what I can bring to the table. At the same time, his collections inspire us: the shapes, the colours and the textures of the clothes that you see on the runway all inform the perfumes. 

Was the process of creating home scents very different to the way that you create perfumes?
We wanted to ensure a point of differentiation between the two. I wanted to use singular elements: the leaves of tomatoes, beetroot, cucumber. Translating this type of formula into candles that smell good when you burn them requires real skill. It’s like architecture: the simplest structures are usually the most complex.

What scents would you recommend for different moments at home?
For relaxing in a bath, try the oregano line – it’s calming, like lavender. If you’re hosting a dinner, go for one of the tomato, cucumber or sweet-pea candles, something that matches the food. For the bedroom, I recommend our wasabi candle and the honeysuckle room spray. 

Do broader market trends influence your work?
We want to be trendy but we don’t follow trends. The key is to choose an ingredient and work around it. Dress it up and use it to create different textures and feelings. The perfume talks to you and it will tell you what it needs. You just need to listen. 

Could you tell us about the day-to-day process of creating new formulas?
To create, you need peace and time. That’s why I recently decided to move from the centre of Barcelona to the countryside. Now I grow tomatoes in my backyard. I wake up every morning to water them and I’m always walking barefoot with my children. You might smell the soil after the rain, along with some patchouli or magnolias that happen to be behind you, and you immediately get inspired. If certain smells work together in nature, I try them in the laboratory.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to find their signature scent?
At Loewe, we offer a rainbow of options so you can choose different ones for different occasions. You can also combine them and create your own essence. Everyone can be an alchemist.
perfumesloewe.com