Galeries Lafayette rethinks own brand Jodhpur

After 35 years in business, it was time for Jodhpur to renew itself in order to regain market share. The Galeries Lafayette’s own womenswear brand, primarily targeting 40-year-olds with its attractive timeless looks, is taking a sideways step with a Fall/Winter collection featuring items in a more distinctive style. The new and improved Jodhpur is heralding more clearly its travel heritage, especially through the colour blue typical of the Indian city from which it takes its name, the key ingredient of its revamped brand identity.
 

Galeries Lafayette is aiming to “revive a brand that had faded somewhat. The work [undertaken on Jodhpur] is linked to customer feedback and to what customers expect from a brand that still enjoys a very good reputation, but which must become more contemporary,” said Nathalie Bluet, head of own brands at Galeries Lafayette since the end of 2022. Jodhpur’s revival is characterised style-wise by slightly more directional cuts, while some of the brand’s best-sellers, such as the trench coat, the hunting-style jacket and sailor-stripe sweaters, have been given a fresh twist. The mood is quite British, but veined with Indian influences.

The collection comprises just under 200 items, to avoid blurring the message, all of them bearing the ‘Go for Good’ label introduced by Galeries Lafayette to highlight products that are less harmful to the planet. The garments are made for example using organic cotton, recycled wool, and leather from tanneries whose environmental credentials have been certified.

In addition, a range of accessories has been developed to boost the Jodhpur collection, comprising bags, belts and scarves to complete the looks. The brand’s price positioning remains mid- to high-end, with shirts priced at €70, jackets at €140, and coats at €250. “It has been a real challenge to keep our prices stable while choosing more sustainable materials,” said Bluet.  

Targeting new consumers is also important. “We are seeing a younger clientèle at Galeries Lafayette in the post-pandemic period, and we must take this into account,” said Arthur Lemoine, head of product and purchasing at the department store. “We want to make the brand more desirable, but also more easily distinguished,” he added. 

Jodhpur’s new fashion collection will be unveiled on July 17, online and in-store. All Galeries Lafayette branches, a total of 67, are commercialising the brand. The layout of Jodhpur corners inside the stores has been redesigned to reflect the new brand identity. The colour blue is predominant in the new concept, which uses natural materials such as wood and zelliji tiles. The department store’s Haussmann branch in Paris will be the first to introduce the new layout, this week. The branches at Nice Cap 3000 and Strasbourg will follow. 

Jodhpur’s positioning inside the stores has notably changed. Previously, Jodhpur was positioned close to brands with a rather classic style, in the ‘contemporary fashion’ segment. But now it is displayed within the section showcasing names with a more established fashion DNA, like Sœur, Sessùn and A.P.C. Photo shoots have been staged to present Jodhpur’s new brand image on the Galeries Lafayette e-shop and social media.

The relaunch’s declared objective is for Jodhpur to achieve “a sales growth of 30% to 50% within three years,” said Lemoine. Jodhpur currently sits within the top 15 womenswear brands at Galeries Lafayette in terms of revenue, and the goal set by the management is to enter the top 10.

More broadly, the group is aiming to “rationalise” its own-brand range, which includes other fashion brands, among them one simply called Galeries Lafayette. The latter features both menswear and womenswear at more affordable prices. As for childrenswear, own-brand Cadet Rousselle, until now focused on infants, will soon include collections for 0 to 12-year-olds.

Finally, cashmere products are treated separately by Galeries Lafayette. They are featured all year round, and are available in many colours and in more or less classic shapes. Galeries Lafayette-branded cashmere knitwear is the department store’s best-seller in the segment, even ahead of specialist cashmere labels, with 150,000 units sold annually. In October, Galeries Lafayette will present a collaboration with singer and actress Lou Doillon, who was given carte blanche to design two cashmere sweaters to her taste.