Why archives are the greatest assets for brands The new main asset in the trend of large conglomerates

First, it was Tiffany&Co., bought with difficulty by LVMH, and Supreme, who joined VF Corp after decades of independence. Then there was Stone Island, acquired by Moncler in a surprise move. Finally, rumours began to circulate about the OTB group and Jil Sander that presage a future acquisition of the brand by Renzo Rosso. Towards the end of 2020, more and more historical brands still independent prefer to combine with some conglomerate, following the adage that says: "No one wins alone".

In the acquisition of a brand, there are many factors that contribute to determining its value. Among them are market positioning and commercial performance but there is a third factor that is not only as relevant as the first two, but that during 2021 if the acquisition policy continues, it will prove to be increasingly valuable. It's the archive of a brand – that mass of trademarks, models, samples, researches, sketches, prints and design that constitutes the genetic heritage of every fashion house.  

But why should the value of the archive increase, already consider its centrality? Two reasons: the first is the birth of a digital movement called archival fashion, that is, a new ecosystem of social pages, showrooms, Instagram archives and personalities of the scene that have revived, in the internet talk, the appreciation and meticulous knowledge of the archives of the most important fashion brands; on the other hand, the new love of vintage that seems to have developed in the public in recent years, which speaks to both the issues of the democratic nature of fashion and those of sustainability, but which above all indicates to brands which have been in the past, and which will certainly be in the future, the winning cards to be played with the public.