Company History:
Whether creating custom trunks for Empress Eugenie in 1854 or collaborating on designs with Kanye West in 2009, Louis Vuitton has always been on the forefront of defining luxurious experiences and providing brilliant ways to dream and to explore.

One the most powerful icons in the world, the LV monogram has embodied glamour and sophistication for several generations by fusing traditional craftsmanship and innovation. Coveted from Paris to Tokyo, the LV brand continues to inspire discerning clientele through its unparalleled offerings in travel, leather goods, fashion, and accessories – a complete LV lifestyle.

The Challenge:
While accessories make or break an outfit, they are too often overlooked. The Columbia-Parsons LV team was tasked with integrating and raising the prominence of the brand’s latest accessories collections, specifically sunglasses, textiles, belts and fashion jewelry. How should LV showcase its crown jewels? What should the assortment look like? Where should they be positioned? How should LV speak to customers about accessories?

Together we created ACCESS LV: a strategy to integrate accessories into the LV narrative and open the door for consumers to experience the brand in unexpected ways.

“Access LV” – Consumer Insights, Process and Solution:
We scoured three continents to uncover best practices inside and outside the luxury industry. In search of unique customer experiences and merchandising ideas, we trekked through a variety of toy stores, prominent boutiques, and lesser known retailers, restaurants and bars.

To better understand the brand and it’s consumers, we combed through the extensive LV archives and conducted ethnographic interviews as well as quantitative research.

Whereas other products often speak loudly for themselves, we learned that with accessories it’s all about focusing on the details to discover hidden treasures. Our key insight revealed that LV accessories consumers are not newcomers to the brand – rather, they are loyal customers who are seeking meaningful and profound ways to more deeply engage in the LV story.

Our strategy, ACCESS LV, proposes dynamic enhancements to store architecture, product selection, and consumer engagement. The result? A cohesive voice that engages the customer in unexpected ways.

Seek.
Play.
Excite.
Immerse.
Explore.

ACCESS LV exploits store architecture, product transversals and consumer education to strengthen and redefine consumers’ engagement with LV accessories.

The Louis Vuitton Project Team
Emily Dang, Columbia Business School
Arlyn Davich, Columbia Business School
Alarice Lacanlale, Columbia Business School
Allison Lehrer, Columbia Business School
Michal Saad, Columbia Business School
Marissa Wong, Columbia Business School
Anne Borelli, Parsons The New School for Design
Annie Lin, Parsons The New School for Design
Patricia Voto, Parsons The New School for Design