Designer cafes continue to flourish all over the world, establishing themselves as a new strategy for major fashion houses to attract their customers.
Of Kitsuné House has Louis Vuittonpassing through Rimowathese brands create places where luxury and conviviality meet, riding the global craze for coffee culture.
A unique brand strategy
The opening of cafes by fashion brands is not a recent phenomenon. From the years 2000, Armani innovated with its café-restaurant in Milan, followed by Kitsuné Housewhich inaugurated in 2013 a café in the gardens of the Palais Royal in Paris. Today, the movement is intensifying with the opening of spots signed by prestigious houses like Dior or Pradatransforming coffee tasting into a true brand experience.
This concept allows fashion houses to address a wider clientele, by creating a bridge between their exclusive universe and affordable products. Entering a designer café is less intimidating than walking through the doors of a luxury boutique, and the prices – often a few dozen euros – make these places more accessible. For the Gen Za fan of “little treat culture” and small daily rewards, these cafés are a way to experience luxury.
When aesthetics meets hospitality
THE designer coffees are not just places of consumption: they are carefully decorated spaces, often designed to be shared on social networks. According to Pinterest Predicts 2024searches around “coffee counter aesthetic” increased by 1125 %highlighting the importance of design in these spaces.
Some brands go even further by linking these initiatives to their storytelling. For example, Rimowa teamed up with La Marzocco during Milan Design Week for an ultra-designer pop-up café. Although these operations are rarely economically profitable, they strengthen the brand image and generate strong emotional engagement.
The role of sensory storytelling
By associating their products with the field of hospitality, brands exploit the sensory marketing. Initiatives like the pop-up café Jacques in the shape of a giant bag or the ephemeral coffee shop of Skims during the launch of its lingerie at Selfridges illustrate this trend. These immersive experiences capture consumers' attention and offer them direct contact, even fleeting, with the brand's world.
Trend agencies, such as NellyRodihighlight the importance of these places in creating an exceptional customer experience. These spaces offer consumers the opportunity to experience a unique moment while immersing themselves in the brand's universe.
Parisian addresses
Kitsuné Cafe51 Galerie de Montpensier, 75001 Paris
LV DreamMaxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton, 26 quai de la Mégisserie, 75001 Paris
Armani Cafe42/43 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes
A New Way to Consume Luxury
THE designer coffees are much more than places to enjoy a latte: they embody a modern and accessible vision of luxury. These spaces offer 360° storytelling, linking digital, social networks and retail. By establishing itself in the coffee culturethe brands meet the expectations of a clientele looking for authenticity, aesthetics and shared moments. A trend that promises to continue, at the intersection of fashion and hospitality.
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