Loro Piana Opens New Palo Alto Store, New Blockchain-Backed Collection – WWD

Loro Piana opened its new store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California, on Wednesday with a new limited collection authenticated by the blockchain, a first for the brand.

The collection is made from Gift of Kings, the company’s extra soft, breathable and wrinkle-resistant wool fiber. The company describes it as one of the oldest, most valued and exclusive wools in the world – which, at 12 microns, is even finer than baby cashmere and almost as fine as vicuña. Each of the special items is numbered with a unique digital ID and has a QR code on the label so it can be verified and tracked. Scanning the code confirms authenticity and gives the buyer access to more information about the item’s journey from farm to store.

Customers can also register their ownership of, for example, the Rodney jacket, which is an item from the new line. According to the company, it is “in line with a legacy tracking approach, it can only be passed from generation to generation after the transfer of the ownership certificate.” Blockchain logs every transaction and change of ownership, and the record is available online via an app or website.

The concept plays into one of Loro Piana’s selling points. The brand describes itself as one of the very few luxury fashion brands with a fully integrated value chain: “The Gift of King’s wool is the result of Loro Piana’s presence in New Zealand and Australia since the 70s where flocks of merino sheep have been cared for. to by generations of dedicated local breeders who have brought the wool to an astonishing level of quality and fineness, it says. “Our customers will be able to receive details that no other competitor can offer, such as fiber purity, fineness and length.”

Only 20 items will be available to start and only at the Stanford Shopping Center store. Each is also paired with an exclusive digital artwork by London-based artist Charlotte Taylor, who reinterpreted The Gift of King’s journey as 3D sculptures.

On Wednesday, the store opening highlighted the collection, the technology and the art behind it with panel talks to educate customers. However, the store will also carry all of the brand’s latest men’s and women’s clothing, plus accessories.

This location has a minimal, modern sensibility, with a facade in hake, Loro Piana’s signature color, as well as neutral tones of gold, beige and blue. Other details highlight or take inspiration from the fabric, including oak furniture and cashmere coverings for walls and upholstery.

The maison has a long tradition of offering the finest wool in the world – next year is its centenary – but it is no stranger to novelty. In recent years, the company has welcomed a new CEO, Damien Bertrand, new approaches like last fall’s CashDenim (cashmere denim) and a new vision for how it communicates the stealth wealth brand.

This week, in an exclusive WWD interview, Bertrand explained his intention “to explain more savoir faire and craftsmanship to Loro Piana because it is so unique and nobody has this level of quality and obsession for quality, which is sustainable.”

He did not discuss technology specifically. But the partnership with the Aura Blockchain Consortium suggests that the craftsmanship of Loro Piana is so singular that it needs to be protected in ways that only technology can achieve.

When it comes to this technology specifically, luxury authentication may be one of the most resilient parts of a blockchain world that has come together recently. If it is insulated from the battles against cryptocurrency and NFT support, it may be because the real value is not in the technology itself, but the physical products associated with it.

That has been a vision for the Aura Blockchain Consortium since its inception. It was formed by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Prada Group and Richemont’s Cartier in April 2021 to explore the technology to raise the standards of luxury goods.

This may be Loro Piana’s first attempt at digital authentication, but it won’t be the last. The first phase begins in mid-March, but starting with the spring 2023 collection, the brand plans to extend digital certification to all its new products made by The Gift of Kings in all stores worldwide.