Lane Crawford: LCYD

As one of the world’s oldest department stores, Lane Crawford is an iconic brand in Greater China, with the recognition, awareness and trust that comes with such heritage. Having served more than six generations of Chinese customers, Lane Crawford has more than 650,000 active, affluent VIP card members.
This project aims to reimagine Lane Crawford as a community retailer. We conceptualise how physical environments and digital platforms can be integrated and transformed to favour human interactions, a sense of community, belonging, personal expression and social responsibility.

SITUATION

01. Young Chinese Talents
Firstly we want to draw attention to the the breadth of creativity that resides within China. This was recently observed by Joe McCarthy in a article published on Luxury Daily. “There are so many Chinese designers that deserve to be elevated and are often over shadowed by western designers who just have the global reputation that they can’t compete with”. This exemplifies the importance of raising awareness of the Chinese pool of talent.
We understand that Lane Crawford already supports designers through their current platform, however we believe that this opportunity could be broadened to encompass and benefit an even wider audience, including designers, consumers, the local community and of course Lane Crawford.

02. Aspiration of 2nd Generation of China
In light of a rising middle class in China, this brings along a new conscious consumer. This consumer is confident, independent and expresses this through their consumption choices. These shifting attitudes open up opportunities to cater for a emotional fulfilment, a loyalty to brands that offer personalisation and niche over mass produced.

03. New Perception on Luxury
They perceive luxury as being NICHE, holding UNIQUE qualities and creating an EMOTIONAL BOND. They have an appreciation of TIME and CRAFTSMANSHIP, that belongs only to a luxury market.
Through workshops we heard the views from a select few of the Chinese second generation. For example from Shegim who quoted “ I would prefer to buy products that were designed specifically by the country that incorporates Chinese influences.”
So in conclusion we confirmed the underlying trend that there is a “rapidly growing emphasis on and appreciation of craft.”(Alice Rawsthorn, 2012) The question was how to make this relevant in a contemporary context.

UNDERSTANDINGS ON CHINA

01. Future Demographics
Many of the changes taking place in China are common features of rapid industrialization: rising incomes, urban living, better education, postponed life stages, and greater mobility. The Chinese are certainly getting richer fast: the per-household disposable income of urban consumers will double between 2010 and 2020. Middle class growth is shifting to tier 2 and 3 cities.
Armed with better information, companies can begin tailoring their product portfolios to the needs of increasingly sophisticated consumers and revising brand architectures to differentiate offerings and attract younger consumers eager for fresh buying experiences. There will be not only challenges but also plenty of opportunities here for companies whose strategies reflect China’s new constellation of rising incomes, shifting urban landscapes, and generational change.

02. Abandoned Spaces
Along with this shift in growth and wealth, there has also been a re-distribution of production and manufacturing leaving many former factories abandoned. This presents an opportunity to revitalise these spaces for a new image and usher in a new perception of ‘made in China’.

PROJECT LCYD (Lane Crawford's Young Designers)

The LCYD programme encompasses three integrated parts. 
The journey begins at the House of LYCD, where the 10 selected designers will be based for their year-long programme. In this house, they will have access to the physical studio space, specialised equipment, and an opportunity to collaborate with both Chinese craftsmen and the local community. These craftsmen will be encouraged to join the collaborative effort to share and spread their skills, while simultaneously increasing the exposure of their craft. The designers will incorporate these skills into the core of their design collections, while also passing on these skills to the local community via workshops.
The story of House of LYCD will be documented by local film makers and broadcast back in the LYCD boutique, giving full transparency to the creative process, building the customers’ understanding and awareness. The sample designs will be showcased in-store at the LCYD boutique where customers can try on the garments, and personalise them to their own bespoke requirements via the interactive screen.
While the screen will showcase the activity at the House of LCYD, it will also engage and initiate specific messages from each designer to customers trying on their creations. This will be done through the SAM Labs application that link the digital screen to the physical experience.

House of LCYD
Through a selection process, 10 designers would be chosen to partake in the annual programme, offering them a physical studio and participation in the newly rejuvenated community creative hub. The designers would create their lines inspired by the Lane Crawford’s proposed agenda and this process would involve the community from initial stages to ensure a integration and mutual benefit for the locals. Live broadcasts from the maker space will be streamed in store and via an online social media platform accessible by exclusive Lane Crawford partners. For the consumer there is the opportunity to gain further access and personalisation of products by becoming a platform partner, who in turn would sponsor the programme.

LCYD Boutique
The story of House of LYCD will be documented by local film makers and broadcast back in the LYCD boutique - which will be fitted into the existing Lane Crawford stores, giving full transparency to the creative process, building the customers’ understanding and awareness. The sample designs will be showcased in-store at the LCYD boutique where customers can try on the garments, and personalise them to their own bespoke requirements via the interactive screen.
While the screen will showcase the activity at the House of LCYD, it will also engage and initiate specific messages from each designer to customers trying on their creations. This will be done through the SAM Labs application that link the digital screen to the physical experience. It will also put the garments into its context for example, a raining scene for a raincoat and a party scene for a tailored dress.

IMPACT

One of the key attributes of LCYD is its broad potential. The service would benefit various stakeholders, from locals in tier 2 and 3 cities to consumers in Hong Kong. Most importantly the young designer through the exposure of the programme - creating intimate connections with their community through a unique retaile experience. This programme will not only benefit the young designers but will empower Lane Crawford’s brand values.
We aim to strengthen the emotional connection between consumers and products, highlighting the making process, skilled craftsmanship and allowing a respect of time. There is a consideration for the wider community with a perpetual exchange of knowledge.

London, UK / 2015
Client: Lane Crawford
Group Work