Street vendors are notorious for selling counterfeit designer merchandise, souvenir items and convenient snacks, usually within heavily tourist-driven urban areas. Thus, it’s widely assumed an exclusive Parisian couture house such as Chanel is unlikely to associate its brand with such an over-saturated activity.
Contrary to this belief, Chanel took a chance and romanticized the concept of street vending by parking a branded street cart alongside its pop-up boutique in London’s Covent Garden. It hosted exquisitely showcased arrangements of white and pink flowers, complimented by iconic bottles of Allure and No. 5.
Photoshopped or not, the juxtaposition of placing luxury labels in the heart of areas packed with affordable merchants and throngs of tourists like London’s Covent Garden, Boston’s Quincy Market and Toronto’s Kensington market is definitely a cultural anomaly. On top of that, the notion of a couturier like Chanel, glamorizing the idea of work on wheels remains a pioneering craze in the making.
Couture Street Vendors
The Chanel Vending Cart in London's Covent Garden is Glam
Trend Themes
1. Couture Street Vending - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Luxury brands can explore the concept of street vending to reach wider audiences and create unique brand experiences.
2. Romanticized Street Carts - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Brands can transform everyday street carts into visually appealing and branded installations to create a unique shopping experience.
3. Luxury Brand Pop-ups - Disruptive innovation opportunity: High-end fashion houses can utilize pop-up boutiques in unconventional locations to attract attention and generate buzz.
Industry Implications
1. Luxury Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Luxury fashion brands can explore unconventional retail strategies to engage with new customers and stay ahead of the competition.
2. Tourism - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Tourist destinations can collaborate with luxury brands to create unique experiences that attract visitors and enhance the local economy.
3. Event Planning - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Event planners can incorporate the concept of luxury street vending in their offerings to create memorable and Instagrammable experiences.