Desigual — BrandWiki

Desigual

Overview

Desigual

type	Sociedad Anónima (S.A.)
founder	Thomas Meyer
industry	Fashion
genre	Fashion brand, business, traditional company, retail firm
products	Clothing, accessories, shoes
revenue	€371 million (2021)
num employees	2,600 (2022)
homepage	www.desigual.com
foundation	Barcelona, Spain (1984)
location city	Barcelona, Catalonia
location country	Spain

Desigual ; Catalan: ); meaning "unequal, uneven") is a Spanish fashion label. The company was founded by Thomas Meyer in 1984, and is headquartered in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.[1] As of 2022, it had a presence in 109 countries, with different distribution channels and several partners.[2]

History

In 1983, founder Thomas Meyer designed a jacket made from scraps of second-hand jeans, then known as the "Iconic Jacket".[3] The following year, he launched the brand Desigual. The idea came from Spanish filmmaker Isabel Coixet.[4] In 1986, the company opened its first own store in the harbor of Ibiza and included its first logo – a graphical representation of a naked man and woman holding hands – designed by Peret.[5]

Brand image

Some of the names of collections launched by the company are "Real Life", "Magic Stories", "Luxury Feelings", "Me&You", "Better&Better", "Wow", "All Together", "Handmade", "Rainbow", "El Love", "La Difference", "El Now", "We are Animals" and "La vida es Chula".[20]

In 2004, the company launched a line of T-shirts inspired by drawings of Thomas Meyer's daughters. In January 2010, Desigual launched a campaign in Spain and Portugal to promote the sale period: customers were invited to enter stores in their underwear, with the first 100 customers receiving a free outfit. The slogan for this campaign was: "Enter naked, leave dressed". 200 people queued in their underwear on the street outside the Madrid store to take advantage of the winter sale. The campaign was repeated in London, Berlin, Stockholm, Madrid, Prague, and New York in June 2011, and in Madrid, Seville, and Lyon in January 2012.[21]

One of the brand’s most notable campaigns starred Winnie Harlow, a Canadian model with vitiligo, who was the face of the spring-summer 2014 collection. Desigual regularly creates collections with cultural and artistic figures. In addition to the collaboration with French designer Christian Lacroix, which began in 2011.[22] Desigual signed a worldwide partnership with Cirque du Soleil in June 2011 to develop a clothing collection named "Desigual inspired by Cirque du Soleil" including sixty items of clothing and accessories.[14] Desigual also collaborated with Disney in a collection inspired by the iconic denim jacket, created by Thomas Meyer in the 80s from denim scraps with leather embellishments of different colours.[23]

Starting in 2018, the firm established new collaborations with well-known personalities and other companies through which it has launched capsule collections featuring new materials, campaigns promoting diversity, and artistic projects. These collaborations have involved the likes of artists Miranda Makaroff and Okuda San Miguel,[24][25] designer María Escoté,[26] actor Jordi Mollá and Najwa Nimri,[26][27] as well as with Ecoalf,[28] Victoria or Sonar Barcelona.[29]

In June 2019, the firm launched its new brand image, which featured a new logo that flipped the brand name backwards, along with a product revamp (more urban, versatile, and sustainable garments and accessories) and a more personalized shopping experience. This required a redesign of strategic stores in Europe, America, and Asia.[30] Notable among them was the Harajuku district in Tokyo, Japan, one of the company's most important markets. This store dedicated one of its floors to offering customers the opportunity to customize garments and attend workshops led by artists.[31]

At the end of the same year, as part of the international art event Art Basel Miami Beach, Desigual presented its spring-summer 2020 collection with a fashion show, as well as an artistic show directed by Spanish artist Carlota Guerrero and inspired by the kiss. It starred personalities from the world of fashion, art, film, and music, who performed a choreography, and was followed by a show where couples and trios kissed in front of the audience wearing garments from the new collection and, later on, nothing at all.[32]

In 2020, the brand continued to roll out its revamped image and a new retail store concept based on art galleries: uncluttered spaces with fewer clothes and hangers, with the garment as the central item, to impress the customer. This new concept is expanding to flagship stores in all markets.[33]

The 2022 fall-winter campaign was designed and carried out in black and white by photographer Mario Sorrenti and model Grace Elizabeth, who had previously modelled for Victoria’s Secret, Chanel and Fendi.[34] The 2022 fall-winter campaign image is Nathy Peluso, the Argentine singer and songwriter, also known for her radical image, that embodies the brand's values.[35]

Sustainable production

Desigual's clothing is mainly manufactured in Asia (73% of production), primarily in countries such as China and India.[42] Some is also manufactured in Europe and the Middle East (27% of production). In 2020, the company made public the list of garment factories actively working for it around the world (Tier 1 suppliers).[43]

To ensure compliance with the company's Code of Conduct for suppliers (including regulations on compliance with the law, human rights, employee rights, as well as labor, environmental, quality and safety conditions), Desigual conducts audits which are carried out through an independent third-party entity,[44] in accordance with the BSCI and SMETA international standards.

Over the years, the company has introduced sustainable fibers and launched collections featuring garments made from organic and recycled fibers, such as the "Love the World" collection released in January 2021.[45]

In 2020, the brand accelerated its sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan. With this plan enforced, 55% of Desigual’s garments are currently sustainable, a percentage that will increase to 70% for the 2023 spring-summer collection. The company also introduced a new eco-friendly labeling model that qualifies garments according to how much recycled or organic material they are made of.[46]

In 2022, the company announced its aim to reduce its absolute GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by 65% in 2026, compared to its 2019 rates. This initiative is part of the company's more challenging goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.[47] The company has also joined the Roadmap to Zero project of ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) to ensure best chemical practices throughout the value chain, moving closer to the goal of zero discharges.[48]

Regarding waste management, in 2021, the firm recovered 97% of the waste generated in its buildings and stores in Spain, around 1,100 tons. Overall, the company reduced waste generation by 20% compared to 2018. The goal of more sustainable packaging was achieved in 2021, when single-use plastic was removed from the packaging process.[49]

Desigual

History

Development

Brand image

Digitalization

Innovation

Sustainable production

Commercial network

Disputes

See also

External links

References