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Phoebe Philo’s LVMH-backed eponymous label is set to diversify its distribution strategy, adding a handful of brick-and-mortar wholesale accounts in key fashion cities in Europe and the US.
The hotly-watched venture’s third drop (or “edit” in the brand’s parlance) will launch online September 10, after which the “edit” (along with items from the brand’s first and second “edits”) will be rolled out to concept stores and luxury department stores for the first time. Stockists will include 10 Corso Como in Milan, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Dover Street Market in London and Paris, Neiman Marcus and Maxfield in Los Angeles and The Webster in South Beach, Miami.
The expansion to brick-and-mortar wholesale comes less than a year after Phoebe Philo’s launch as a direct-to-consumer, online-only venture. A strategy of digital drops with strictly limited volumes had promised to boost full-price sales and perceived exclusivity for the brand, but it was unclear whether the scarcity-driven model could scale.
The move to evolve its model toward a mix of direct-to-consumer and wholesale also comes amid a gloomy market for online luxury. A planned merger of Farfetch and Yoox Net-a-Porter was scrapped late last year amid mounting losses at both e-tailers, while Matchesfashion shuttered. For Phoebe Philo, interest in snapping up new pieces as soon as they hit the website has waned since a sold-out launch last October: ready-to-wear, bags, silver jewellery are currently in stock on the site in a variety of styles and sizes.
