A BIGGER SPLASH: With higher than usual rainfall this winter, most Parisians by now are sick of getting soaked. But Michael Kors is hoping the shimmering turquoise waters of a swimming pool will put visitors to its pop-up in the mood for a vacation – preferably with its new Colby bag in tow.
From Friday to May 12, the U.S. brand is bringing to life its Michael Michael Kors spring 2024 campaign in an immersive format at the temporary space in the French capital’s Marais district, which features three sensory rooms inspired by the images shot by Mert Alas.
It’s part of a new creative direction for the secondary label, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and is targeting a new generation of aspirational shoppers with a more elevated product offering, as part of a broader effort to rev up the Michael Kors business following two years of stalled growth.
The Colby, priced between 350 euros and 395 euros, is one of two new shoulder bags depicted in the ads, shot in Malibu and Los Angeles, and is shown floating in the pool.
“Our spring campaign is all about the personal style of women and men who are cool, confident and always up for adventure, and no one does cool confidence like the French,” Michael Kors told WWD.
“So we wanted to bring the sunny, graphic energy of Los Angeles, where the campaign was shot, to another one of my favorite cities, Paris, as we celebrate the spirit of the next-gen jet set around the world,” the designer added.
Visitors to the Galerie Haut Turenne will step into a first room that evokes the campaign imagery with videos and behind-the-scenes footage playing on multiple screens in the center of the space, which will be bathed in hazy light designed to evoke the Californian climate.
The second room is dedicated to the Colby bag, which will be available to purchase on site in a range of colors and finishes. The third space is designed to simulate a swimming pool, thanks to visual effects, props and lighting.
The Paris activation will be followed by Club Kors, a takeover of Joia Beach Club in Miami for a week in May, the brand said. Kors has five stores in France, in addition to three outlets and 13 shops-in-shop.
After it went public in 2011, the brand expanded rapidly, coasting on the success of its affordable handbags, but ultimately suffered from overexposure.
Its turnaround efforts could be complicated by the fact that the Federal Trade Commission has challenged Tapestry’s $8.5 billion takeover of Capri Holdings, the parent company of Michael Kors and Versace. Investors had hoped that Tapestry’s experience with Coach would help it juice up the Kors label.
Michael Kors posted revenue of $2.7 billion in the nine months ended Dec. 30, down from $2.97 billion during the same period a year earlier, according to the most recent figures published by Capri, which cited “softening consumer demand, mainly in the Americas.”
