“Claire’s was regarded as a fleet of retail shops, however we actually began to consider it as a model,” she defined. “It was about clarifying and tightening what the model stood for, which has at all times been about self-expression.”
A key a part of its model transformation has been altering its distribution technique past the mall, “to be the place the patron was when she needed Claire’s,” stated Patrick.
Beside its greater than 2,750 owned shops (not together with franchise places), Claire’s has partnered with over 40 retailers globally to seem within the likes of Walmart, Macy’s and Kohl’s. Final 12 months, it additionally expanded into new markets with retailer openings in Paris and Mexico.
Claire’s additionally wanted to seem extra related in tradition, so in 2022 it appointed a inventive director in residence, Nicola Formichetti, a designer who beforehand held roles with labels together with Diesel, Uniqlo and Haus of Gaga. Formichetti designed Claire’s new Paris retailer.
Like different forward-thinking manufacturers similar to Lego and Nike, Claire’s arrange a content material studio and commenced producing unique leisure. Final 12 months it launched a five-part episodic sequence known as “Expensive Claire,” through which Gen Z speak about all the pieces from self-love to cultural id to friendship.
The will to succeed in a digitally savvy technology has additionally fueled its experimentations with know-how. When relaunching its piercing enterprise final 12 months, it used AI to let clients curate their appears to be like. In 2022, it entered the metaverse with a recreation on Roblox.
