Company History
Since 1880, when René Lalique began his career as a jeweler, his revolutionary creations and magnificent artistry have established a legacy of exceptional design and unrivaled beauty. For over 100 years, Lalique’s works of art have been manufactured in Alsace, France, by generations of award winning glass Masters. Lalique proudly offers crystal objects d’art, vases, stemware, interior design and jewelry.

Case Study Concept
Lalique asked the students to build a 3-year business strategy to further develop and grow Lalique’s current jewelry line in North America. This included researching and analyzing the current state of the market and developing future plans for a distribution channel, possible retailers, merchandising, event concepts and sales specialists’ incentives. Finally, the students were asked to design a small collection that Lalique’s product development team in France will review and possibly attempt to produce in the future.

Design, Business and Marketing Plan Solution
Starting with a brand awareness study and customer research, the students concluded that the key strengths of the Lalique brand were great design, unique craftsmanship and a strong association to luxury and art. It was also found that repositioning the brand as one that designs aspirational jewelry was necessary: this would appeal to the affluent Lalique customer as well as a new audience.

After consulting with Lalique on three design concepts, the theme of Femme Fatale was retained to support the team’s strategy. The Femme Fatale is interpreted as a symbol of power, unrestrained passion, mystery and confidence. The visual identity of the Femme Fatale goes back to early Lalique designs with a dark and almost gothic universe and emphasizes seduction and luxury. The team presented jewelry designs under three distinct lines of Femme Fatale: Black Widows, Poison and Thorns.

The recommended strategy over three years aims to position Lalique as a highly desirable luxury brand notorious for their jewelry. The first year will introduce the most expensive, unique, high-design line. To follow, more accessible pieces will be offered to attract a broader customer. Creative marketing will support the Femme Fatale plan including a high profile unveiling in New York, while mobile and pop up stores and a dedicated web site will create a buzz around the mysterious Femme Fatale.

The team worked in an integrated and supportive fashion, leveraging the diverse skills of the Parsons and Columbia Business School students. A major benefit of this project for the students is the first hand understanding that success in the business of luxury builds on the harmonious combination of design, marketing and business skills.


The Lalique Project Team
Andrea Chan, Columbia Business School
Emre Ekmekci, Columbia Business School
Shirley Lee, Columbia Business School
Pierre Mordacq, Columbia Business School
Neenu Sharma, Columbia Business School
Sapana Talwalkar, Columbia Business School

Tiffany Ang, Parsons The New School for Design
Danielle Dinelly, Parsons The New School for Design
Savitri Lopez-Negrete, Parsons The New School for Design