The story of Philipp Plein – a designer with business balls!
Just a few years ago, no one had heard of him. Today the story of Philipp Plein clearly shows how you can achieve dizzying success on the fashion market. By breaking the mold and framework that other designers impose on us, Plein opened the eyes of all creative people in the world.
Today, the skull logo is a hot brand, known all over the world. Perhaps many of you cannot tolerate or even are allergic to his creations. One thing is certain, he deserves great respect for the way he approaches his business.
The story of Philipp Plein – it all started in Germany
When you are born in Munich, into an intelligentsia family, your plan of action is strictly defined by your doctor father. Young Plein was sent to the elite school Schloss Salem Alma. When he was studying law, he decided to start creating luxurious dog beds and tables.
He inherited it from his grandfather 20,000 German marksand in 1998 he opened a furniture manufacturing company. Using the family fortune in this way.
He used high-quality crocodile leather in his designs. Often, after upholstering the countertop, there was a lot of material left. Then he came up with the idea of creating extravagant bags that amazed many people.
I guess he already knew where his place was and what he wanted to do. I think that there is no coincidence in life, the story of Philipp Plein clearly proves this. The most important thing is to start something that really excites you and what you love. Furniture design was a natural path to the world of high fashion with a capital M.
A breakthrough moment for a designer – the story of Philipp Plein
Each of us has our own time and should make the most of it. Such a period happened for Plein in 2003 at the Fashion and Design Fair – Premiere in Düsseldorf. It is one of the largest events in Germany and determines what we will wear next season.
At that time, he sold furniture, dog products and leather bags.
Philipp in Düsseldorf sold its products in just one day 100 00 euros!!! Admittedly, this is an amazing result for someone who is just starting out in this business. Fashion’s golden child? Hmmmm, I don’t know, but one thing is for sure Plein has balls…
The following year it entered the same fair with a much expanded and holistic offer. It had products for children, women and men. However, the greatest sensation was caused by military jackets decorated with a skull made of Swarovski crystals. Philipp came up with a prohibitive price of several hundred euros for one jacket. And what? And nothing – they ran like water.
They became so popular that within a few months they gave up one million euros!
This is how you start climbing a very high ladder. In the following years it only gets better and everything indicates that the story of Philipp Plein is the dream of most young designers.
How does the story of Philipp Plein influence an innovative approach to the world of fashion?
This 39-year-old German quickly understood the enormous power of social media. And also unconventional ideas and stars that decide everything today. It is not a fairy tale that Plein organized one of his shows in a brothel. And whether it was talked about well or badly – one thing is certain – it was talked about loudly. Philippplein it assumes that everything is similar.
That’s why his approach to promoting his brand is one big break from convention.
In 2006, the faces of his campaign were Marcus Schenkenberg and Naomi Campbell. The costs spent on world celebrities quickly paid off. Plein realized that a name makes a big difference.
The following years saw collaboration with Chris Brown, Linsday Lohan, Ed Westwick, Terry Richardson, Grace Jones, Iggy Azalea, Snoop Doog and many other celebrities. To get 50 cents to open your boutique, you have to spend a lot of money. Philipp understands this perfectly and does not regret any euro spent.
The story of Philipp Plein shows how important promotion and everything related to the brand’s exposure to the world are today. Apart from the fact that you will design a leather jacket for PLN 2,000. euro, you must have a plan – how to sell it. It’s not enough to distort something, call it stupid and wait for success.
The designer understands this perfectly, navigating efficiently in the thicket of luxury marketing. His fashion shows are a different world that is now difficult for others to catch up with.
I’m curious who among today’s designers invests from 1.5 to 3 million euros for their show?
I guess that’s how it’s structured now – no money, no mass. In the age of everything, you have to stand out. Even when you have something very unique, eccentric marketing costs money!
Philipp puts on a real show. It turns huge surfaces into a real and unique show. The biggest and most exciting that took place was the topicRoller – Coaster, cowboy town, show with a military unit, Monster Truck, skate park and swimming pool with skis and jet skis.
It’s rare to see such great endeavors in the fashion world. But it works! For several years now, the Philipp Plein brand has been gaining value like good Italian wine.
How to sell a jacket for $80,000?
And this is where the penguin dance begins. Plein’s products cost a lot, although it may also be the type of otherness it represents, who knows…
T-shirts start from several hundred zlotys, usually from 800 to 1,000 to 2,000 zlotys. Amount from PLN 2.3 thousand to an average of PLN 8.9 thousand. PLN – this is the price for the jacket.
Shoes usually cost PLN 2,300. For most people these prices are prohibitive, but not for everyone. I know many fans of this brand and the amount spent on Philipp Plein clothing is just an amount that does not matter to them.
One of the most expensive products is a jacket worth PLN 80,000. dollars. It is made of crocodile skin and mink. It seems utopian, but this model is already selling, simple right?
Plein openly says that he focused on online sales earlier than Gucci or Hermes. Online stores and all e-commerce sales bring the company up to $14 million annually. This is a sum that some niche luxury brands should consider.
Their policy prohibits online sales. This is completely incomprehensible to me and it seems to me that no one can escape from it today. If you claim that you have to sell only in stationary stores, you are shooting yourself in the foot – ”short ball, quick set”!
A short history of Philipp Plein and his boutiques around the worldAccording to various data, the brand has about 30 of its own boutiques, the rest are franchises. Philipp spares no expense in its stationary store designs, spending millions on a luxurious atmosphere. Its characteristic feature is the highest-class materials, such as marble, crystals and a large crystal skull.
Customers love crystal grand skull, often taking photos with her. This is something very Plein – a permanent selfie point in his boutiques.
Each brand sales point is located in an excellent location. In London, Philipp Plein located himself on New Bond Street. Its showroom is 3 floors and 350 square meters. Invested 3.5 million euros they will definitely pay off with interest.
What determines Plein’s success?
His clothes are worn by the biggest players in show business, including Victoria and David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Dima Bilan Timati and many other famous faces. Today it is a global brand, and recently very desirable among fashion lovers.
Philipp Plein’s products were a great success. Where is the prescription? Certainly unique based on broadly understood pop culture. A reference to famous heroes such as Superman, Batman or other fairy tale characters.
Because each of us identifies with certain fictional supermen… But this is probably not the main driving force of this famous brand. Philipp Plein learned the rules of the game perfectly well, in which he had to stand out.
His style is to break down certain barriers in an exceptionally warm and very individual way. Many of the designed products are eccentric, but at the same time able to be worn every day.
For me, the story of Philipp Plein is an example of how good business is done today. It is not easy in the 21st century to quickly create such a famous clothing brand as itself. And if you spend 500 euros on a T-shirt, it’s a sign that you believed the story of this amazing designer.
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